And the Light Shines Through
by CopperInk
Summary: Jack is still struggling with his newly gained memories that threaten to overpower him and someone messing with spirits' minds isn't doing much to help. To top it all, Jack learns that his connection with the Wind doesn't come as naturally as one could hope. And he is still supposed to take care of his duties as Pitch's guard. Oh the joy... Sequel to Silver Light for Blind Eyes.
1. Frost and Sand

Hi! I'm back with the sequel I promised. For the old readers... Thank you for your patience, please enjoy!  
For the new readers... This is a sequel to my other story: _Silver Light for Blind Eyes_, which you'll find from my profile if you want to read it first, which I personally recommend. In case you don't want to though, I'll put a small summary with the necessary info at the end of this chapter.

**Warnings (for the whole story): **swearing, blood(/slight violence?) and OCs (though I am trying to tune it down a bit) who will most likely, probably, maybe not have too big of a role, but knowing me probably will anyway.

Please enjoy!

**Chapter 1** _Frost and Sand_

Breathe in… Breathe out. Jack did his best to keep his breathing even in order to control his anger and frustration. Tried.

"You're doing it again", a voice sounded from little away from him. His frown deepened and he bit back his urge to cuss. The other ignored his attitude and continued.

"How many times do I have to tell you this before you actually start listening? You have to let them in. You can't keep on like this, especially if you really want to learn real control over your powers", Jack opened his eyes to glare at the green glowing figure in front of him. Loki looked back at him calm, but weary looking. Jack felt a small stab of guilt in his chest for causing the other spirit to look like that, but it was pushed aside by another wave of frustration. Loki had no idea what it was like to suddenly just have memories from centuries before he was born. To suddenly feel like he had a second personality living in his mind, occasionally making him wonder if the way he acted in some situation was actually him or the memories pushing through. Of course Jack would try to block them off!

Loki seemed to notice his words weren't making any difference and sighed. Then he turned to glare into the shadows of the trees around them.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything? You know as well as I do that should he keep this up he's eventually going to break", Loki stated heatedly and the shadows moved. A tall, lean figure formed and stepped halfway into the moonlight. Jack noticed Pitch glancing at Loki before turning to look at him. Jack glared at him as if challenging him. Pitch looked away.

"I thought we agreed on having me stay out of this 'training' you're giving him", Pitch said after a tense moment. Loki huffed, throwing his hands in the air.

"You suck. Both of you. I am so done with you", Loki told them pointing an accusing finger at Pitch and then Jack. Then he stomped off towards the tree line, letting out a loud whistle as he did. Jack watched as a horse with warm golden-brown aura and eight legs trotted to the snow covered clearing and head butted against Loki's chest gently. Loki patted the huge horse before mounting him and throwing one last glare at Jack.

"I'll be back in a week and if you still refuse to let me try and _help _you, I'll be leaving you on your own", Loki half growled at him. Jack simply glared back, biting back yet another cuss he'd prepared for the spirit. Loki and Sleipnir trotted off and soon disappeared into the shadows.

Jack sighed as soon as the bizarre duo were out of sight.

"Do you think I should apologize?" Jack asked Pitch, who was still just standing there, half hidden by the shadows. Pitch shrugged.

"Do I seem like your personal psychologist?" he asked. Jack sighed again.

"Whatever", Jack muttered and got ready to leap into the air. He had just stepped on the wind when he heard Pitch call after him. He turned slightly to show he was listening.

"He is right though", Pitch told him and when Jack just stared at him blankly, he continued: "You have to start letting them in or they're going to drown you." With a growl, Jack turned and fled the clearing.

**-O-**

Of course, Jack couldn't go far. The bind the Moon had made between him and Pitch stayed strong. Jack had learnt he could leave about 15 kilometers between them, until he started to feel the slightly uncomfortable pull back towards Pitch. By twenty kilometers distance Pitch would probably have thrown up and would be curled up into a ball in some dark corner. It seemed the pull was stronger for him. Jack hardly found it fair, but he figured it couldn't be helped. He was supposed to be Pitch's 'guard' after all.

Jack sighed and spun his staff in his hands watching the blue and silver light dance on its frosted surface. Once he blinked, the blue color was gone. He was used to it by now though, the colors sometimes flickered into life before fading again. For the first few times it had happened he'd been ecstatic, but once he realized it was only temporary, he rarely even thought about it. Mostly because it still managed to bring out a strong feeling of disappointment for not earning his vision back like he _should _have when he received Jokul's powers and memories. Jack frowned. He didn't want to think about that. It was the reason he'd left the clearing in the first place. To have some _fun_.

Jack lowered himself on the familiar snow covered rooftop. It was rather late and he knew Jamie would be sleeping, but in the past months, years, he'd found himself drifting here whenever he felt like he could do with some distractions. But even though he visited few times a year, he only really saw and talked with Jamie once or twice. He wasn't stupid after all. As much as he knew that Jamie liked myths and stories and him, he knew he couldn't let Jamie get too attached. Humans messing with myths and magic tended to get obsessed and forget their other life. While Jack was sure Jamie would be content with that, living in the world of spirits and magic for his whole life, inspecting and experimenting, it wasn't what Jack wanted for him. Children were supposed to forget them, they were supposed to move on with their lives, make friends, get a job, do what they want, get married and have children. And even when Jamie would stop believing in them, he could still do what he wanted, research myths and stories. He didn't necessarily have to get stuck in them.

So Jack kept his distance even though he felt the warm flutter in his chest every time he was seen by Jamie or any other child, every time he got to talk and play with them. Jack still had many, many years to do that, but human lives were so limited. In the end, Jack would have to let go as well as Jamie. And it would be easier for both of them to not do it Jamie's death bed.

**-O-**

It had been an hour, or maybe two, when Jack finally lifted himself from his comfortable position lying on the rooftop. It was a quiet night as usual. He stretched and checked with his internal clock that he had maybe an hour or two to get back to Pitch before the sun would rise and he'd lose his vision again. He only hesitated for a moment before willing the wind to lift him up.

He'd only managed to float away from Jamie's rooftop though, when a sudden heat wave made him stumble. How it was even possible to stumble while flying, he had no idea, but he did. He straightened and looked around warily. Had it been day time, he would've passed it as someone opening a garage door or a big car passing by, but he had not heard a sound this time. The heat also felt different, dry. As if it had come straight from a desert.

Nothing was out of ordinary, Jack concluded as he let his eyes travel over the scenery. The streets were empty and dark, the snow reflecting some light from the full moon. Jack was about to dismiss the experience as his imagination, when he could feel the air get warmer. He looked down where the heat seemed to be radiating from. There was nothing there. Then a slight glow of yellowish orange caught his eye and he turned to see snow melting in alley just behind him. Softly, Jack let the wind lower him to the ground, ignoring its frantic whispering. The glow was getting closer and suddenly Jack realized it was coming from the ground. The pavement was glowing. Jack blinked.

No, not the pavement, the pavement was turning into… sand? Jack stepped closer to the strange phenomena just to stumble back immediately. The sand was radiating warmth. Dry, hot desert air replaced the bitter cold and Jack gasped as he breathed in. It had been ages since Jack had breathed in such hot and dry air and it made his throat feel weird. Unpleasantly so.

With a huff, Jack struck his staff on the ground, creating a small whirlwind of cold air and snow. The trickle of sand stopped and retreated a bit, before settling. Jack frowned at it. Just when he was about to repeat the action, a voice spoke out.

"How rude", Jack looked up at the source of the voice. It was a woman. Maybe in her late twenties, perhaps a bit younger. She had raven hair just reaching her shoulders, cut in straight lines. She was wearing a short skirt and a top, while walking barefoot. A burning orange aura surrounded her. Jack could swear he'd seen her somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.

"Me?" Jack blinked, surprised at her words, "I'm the rude one? You realize that sand and snow don't mix well, right? And funnily enough, people usually connect snow with winter, which, by the way, is the season we're currently having." Yes, Jack was more than a bit offended that some sort of summer spirit would try and steal his season, but honestly, he did realize it was a bit of a hypocrite. He couldn't even count all the times he'd decided to have the winter come a bit early or last a little bit longer. But something with this spirit's appearance didn't sit well with him. The wind kept whispering warnings in his ears, setting him on the edge.

"Yes you. Don't you think it would be more polite to offer a greeting before so hastily trying to drive me away?" the woman asked and Jack blinked owlishly at the tone. Was she… pouting? A little flustered Jack opened his mouth to offer an explanation, before closing it, frowning. She had completely just brushed off his words.

"Well? Nothing to say for yourself? Fine then. No need for introduction, I know who you are. You may remember me from one of our… meetings at the North Pole couple of years back. I am Asbit", the woman told him then, the pout vanishing from her tone as well as her face. It was enough to refresh Jack's memory and he recalled a fire spirit sitting by the long table among the many spirits. If he recalled correctly, she had been one of the most distrustful and hostile ones. Unconsciously Jack tightened his grip on his staff. She pretended not to notice the sudden shift in atmosphere and brushed off imaginary bits of dust from her skirt.

"But that is not what I'm here to talk about now is it? No. Actually, I'm not here to talk at all. I am done talking, I have been for two years now. You may have fooled others into believing you can hold on on your own, but I know better. With memories such as his, there is no way someone like you, young and weak hearted, would be able to fend off his cruel tendencies. I know you're just biting your time, but I am not going to just stand by and let it happen!" Asbit was now approaching him with a feral looking snarl on her face and Jack found himself backing away. Her words didn't make sense to him and he was too absorbed in trying to understand what he was being accused of to notice the ground dissolve under him. Suddenly he realized he was standing in sand, which little by little was covering his feet.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked distractedly while trying to back off from the sand. It was no use though, he simply kept sinking. He tried to freeze it with his staff but only managed to make it wet. Little bit panicked, he lifted his eyes to glare at the Egyptian.

"Don't pretend to be so ignorant, you're humiliating yourself. Not that you can go much lower", she told him, lifting her chin arrogantly. Anger boiled inside Jack and for a brief moment he felt himself pulling on the well of power inside him, on the power he'd only gained couple of years ago. But immediately he started feeling the old, cold anger and bitterness creeping into his mind that wasn't his. It wasn't Asbit standing in front of him anymore, it was some other male spirit whose features he couldn't quite make out…

Jack ripped himself from the flashback and the power that had previously been tingling in his fingertips fell back, slipping from his grasp. Now frustrated Jack stuck his staff on the sand, steadily sending out a stream of frost.

"I'm not pretending anything. Just… what have I done this time? Frozen Giza's pyramid?" Jack asked, twisting his face into careless smile out of habit. Finally he could feel something akin to ice start forming under his feet. Asbit glared at him, but didn't answer. Instead her gaze fell to his feet and she smirked. The sand was already reaching his tights.

"I would've thought the great winter spirit to give a bit more of a challenge… I guess you catching all those spirits was a fluke after all", she stated smugly. Jack frowned. He hadn't been the one to catch and freeze those spirits, it was Jokul… Then he realized. Asbit thought he'd lost himself in his memories! Or she could just think Jack actually was the same kind of person… Not that it mattered which idea she was following. The result was the same: Jack being slowly buried in sand.

Feeling the sand creeping under his hoodie, Jack finally let himself a panic a little bit. The ice he'd managed to gather beneath his feet kept melting and reforming and the cold cover over his skin was starting to heat up due to the sand which, Jack could tell, was burning hot. Jack didn't visit beaches in summer for a reason.

With a growl, Jack pulled his staff from the sand to try and help himself climb up, but the staff kept sinking no matter where he set it. He just barely kept himself from screaming in frustration. Why? Why did his magic come out so weak? Why was he so helpless against a pile of sand?

He knew the answer though, even if he didn't like it. He wasn't using his full power. The power he'd sealed with Jokul's memories almost as soon as he'd regained them. And Asbit was a fire spirit, there was no way he could go against someone like that as he was now. It wouldn't stop him from trying though. And he did. All the way until the sand covered his head and his hands could reach nothing but the heat.

**-O-**

When Jack came to, he was sweating. It was the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed was that he was lying on a stone floor. Then he came aware of the pressing feeling in his chest that made it hard to breath. There was nothing physically hindering his breathing though so he assumed it was the hot air causing it. That is, until he remembered the hot sand that had been surrounding him, making it impossible to move or _breathe_.

Ice blue eyes snapped open, but when they still couldn't see anything but darkness they closed and Jack focused on drawing in a deep breath. A buzzing sound that he had long since associated with the distance between him and Pitch exploded in his ears, which meant he had to be pretty far away from the older spirit. Worry flooded his mind as he made that conclusion. The distance would not feel as a gentle buzzing to Pitch.

He didn't have the time to dwell on it though, because that was when he realized he didn't have his staff. A wave of panic hit him, but he did his best to suffocate it. _Relax, _he told himself, _deep breaths. _He had proved to himself time and time again that he wasn't helpless even without his staff. _But what about when you're alone and blind, _a traitorous voice sounding like Pitch asked at the back of his head. Jack told it to shut up.

Once he'd gotten his thoughts in order again, he tried to piece together what had happened. Taking in the hot air that smelled of sand, he was guessing Asbit had dragged him off somewhere. Why? He had no idea. He had seriously thought he'd die when he'd been buried in the burning sand. Then he wondered if he even could die. He had thought the only one who could kill spirits was the Reaper. They were, after all, immortal. Maybe that was why Asbit had dragged him with her then? She couldn't kill him. But then, what exactly was she planning to do with him?

Finally Jack got enough of laying and trying to think of answers to impossible questions and pushed himself upwards to a sitting position. His arms were shaking and he felt like his skin was melting, all which he knew was because of the heat. Still, he forced himself on his feet, but stumbled. He hit a wall almost immediately, but the slightly colder surface felt good on his skin, so he let himself relax even if only a little. He was still leaning against the wall, eyes closed and shaking, when he heard a loud _clank _followed by soft footsteps.

Jack forced himself to stay still and relaxed though he was trying his hardest not to let the slight trembling show. He would have to locate his staff as soon as possible. The footsteps stopped few meters before reaching him.

"Well, aren't you in a pitiful state", Asbit stated and Jack forced his eyes to stay shut despite his instinct to try and locate the source of the voice with his eyes.

"Yeah, I could use a cool iced drink right now, if you would, thanks", Jack said with a smirk, though internally he winced at how weak his voice sounded. He hoped it didn't sound as miserable to the fire spirit. Asbit laughed, an emotionless laugh showing no actual amusement at all. And that was all the warning Jack had before he was slammed forward, away from the wall. He stumbled and fell on his knees. His side ached and he was sure it would a bruise in few hours. Sand started to form beneath his hands.

With a start he pushed himself off the floor only to be hit back down again, this time with greater force, so he rolled on the sand floor for couple of meters before stopping on his stomach. He groaned and pushed himself on his knees, his arms screaming of exhaustion. He heard her steps coming closer again and on instinct he shied away from her. He scowled at himself for showing such an obvious sign of fear. For a moment his frustration pushed aside his exhaustion and he felt frost creeping up his arms. Surprised, Jack concentrated on the frost, willing it form thicker and wider, but the magic was once again slipping by his fingers when hazy memories flashed in his mind.

_He was flying. The sun shone brightly and he was worried it would melt off all the snow before he could even finish spreading it. But of course it wouldn't happen, the light was cold, it was middle winter after all and he-_

_Not now_, Jack thought desperately and pulled himself from the stream of memories. The sunlight burning at his eyes disappeared along with the wind. The frost receded from his arms. Hurriedly, while he still could, Jack shot up from his kneeling positions and delivered a solid punch at the woman standing above him. It was the first time he'd hit anyone and he was glad he couldn't see it was a her- and he hissed at the pain that flared at his fist once he'd made contact. He was so not doing that again.

He heard Asbit stumble backwards with a shriek, and Jack felt a cold breeze coming from her way, before it was all but burned away. He figured it was the frost that had her, rather than the punch itself. That, Jack thought, had probably hurt him more than her. Who would've thought punching someone would hurt that much?

He didn't get to ponder about it long, before Asbit struck viciously at him. He flew across the room, hitting the stone wall with his side first. The sand softened his fall some, but it was still burning hot and Jack wondered if he'd get blisters. Still, he forced himself on his feet, steadying himself by leaning on the wall. He still remembered where he'd heard the sound, as if a heavy door opening, when Asbit had come in. And Asbit was no longer standing in the way. That is, if she hadn't moved back after sending him flying against the wall. He didn't have time to wonder about it though and so he dashed.

He only managed few steps when he heard her laugh.

"And where do you think you're going, so rudely in middle of our game?" she asked and Jack felt the sand move beneath his feet. He fell with a surprised shout.

"Do you not understand yet? And you are supposed to be centuries old. Well, of course, that is what happens when you abandon your history. Me, I am still Asbit despite all the times I've been brought back. Just what have you done yourself Jokul, hmm? I did not expect you to be this easy to handle", Asbit kept going and Jack heard her coming closer. The sand was burning against his hands and cheek and the slide of skin on his stomach where his hoodie had been pushed up as he fell. Again he pushed himself on his feet, just to be thrown back on the sand by a powerful kick to his side. Jack groaned. The heat was sapping him of the little strength he had and without his staff he had no way of letting loose the power he had stored away. Except…

It was a futile attempt, he knew it even before he tried it, but he was running out of options. He wouldn't be able to keep on getting on his feet for much longer and without some moonlight or his staff, he was left blind and powerless. Except he wasn't, he shouldn't be. He could feel the power inside him, but whenever he reached for it, his mind was filled with bitter emotions, anger and grief. Of which none were his own.

Jack knew better than to expect for help either. The distance between them would render Pitch useless and Loki had left hours before Jack got kidnapped and probably still wasn't back. Who else was there to come to his rescue? The Guardians? The last he'd seen one of them was months ago and even then it had been just Sandy passing by on his nightly rounds. There was no one he could rely on and no strength left to put his trust on himself either. So he pulled on the power that was not linked with the memories nor did they sap much from his remaining strength. A glowing snowflake formed on his palm and he blew on it, willing it to reach Asbit.

"What…?" he heard her start, but trailed off at the same time as Jack felt his magic dissolving and flowing into her. A light laughter followed.

"So that was it? Your last straw? Ahh, what an delightful trick you have there. I feel-" she paused as if searching for the right words, "…joy, hopeful. As if there was nothing I should be afraid of…" She trailed off, and Jack could almost feel her eyes piercing him.

"What did you do? What was that? Were you trying to manipulate me? Erase my memories? _What did you do?_" Asbit was almost screaming at the end and Jack unconsciously scooted further away from her. He blinked. It hadn't worked exactly as it should have, though it would seem his… _trick _was a bit more powerful than he remembered it being. It made him somehow uneasy, to think it technically could be called manipulating, but Jack had long since learnt how not to dwell on things and subjects that made him uneasy. He would have to deal with it eventually, but he preferred later rather than sooner.

"Answer me!" Asbit screamed then when Jack didn't say anything. Jack frowned, wondering if it would be easier to slip past an angry Asbit rather than the calm one, but the thought left his mind when he tried to recall which way the door was at. It had been right before him before he fell and was kicked, after that he'd stayed mostly still, aside from trying to create some distance between himself and the angry fire spirit, so the door should be somewhere to his left.

Without really paying any thought to it, he let his unseeing eyes wonder as he tried to listen and feel the small drafts in the room so he could pinpoint the exact location of the doorway. He didn't even realize Asbit falling silent and the sand decreasing its constant movements. Not until Asbit spoke up again.

"Of course I heard the rumors, but to think they held this much truth… You really are blind, aren't you?" a shrill laughter escaped left her lips and Jack's head snapped towards the sound. "Oh how low you have fallen! Old Man Winter indeed, even losing his sight among with his praised powers due to his old age! Or could it be true? That you truly rejected your old memories? That you rejected even the power and experience it would give you? Your sight? Ah, no, surely you wouldn't be that much of an…" again she trailed off and Jack was desperately trying to find words to say, lies, distraction, anything! But nothing came to his mind. He wondered if was for the best. She had attacked him because she thought he was dangerous, right? Because she thought he was still Jokul. So when she realized he was just Jack, she had no reason to hold him, right? Still, his instincts told him to back off, so he started scooting backwards, away from the fire spirit.

"Oh but you are, aren't you? This is rich. Blind and powerless winter spirit, helpless without his staff and the wind to guide him. Alright, hey, I have a suggestion, would you hear me out? If you agree I'll let you go and even give you your staff back. After all, there is no way someone as weak as you could be of any danger to us. So, what do you say?" Asbit asked and finally Jack's back hit a wall and her footsteps stopped right in front of him. Relief flooded in when Jack heard her words and before he could stop himself, it made his lips open and the simple word "yes" slip from his lips. Asbit laughed again.

"Alright, then. Would you tell me, where will I find the Wind? Aura, was it? Answer this and I will let you go", she stated and Jack blinked in confusion. She was looking for the wind? Why? Couldn't she just have asked it herself? Or maybe others than Jack and Jokul weren't able to hear it? It didn't make much sense to Jack. He could hear the stars and water and rocks too if he tried, not that he understood them, and he had always assumed that all the spirits, or at least the nature spirits, would be able to hear them too. Or was it just that that they didn't understand? But Jack hadn't understood the wind in the beginning either. But he'd learnt. Why didn't Asbit do the same? But… Aura? Was that the Wind? So the wind had an incarnation as well… Now that he thought about it, he felt like he had heard Jokul mention it too.

"Why? Why are you looking for i- her? Can't you just ask it yourself?" Jack asked then in a weak attempt to buy himself more time. After all, he had no clue where the wind spirit was residing. Asbit snorted.

"You foolish little boy, do you think I have not tried? She does not speak to me. As to why… Do you think you are the only spirit who wants to fly? For us who have no wings, the wind spirit is the only one who can grant our wish, but after you… After Jokul made that idiotic deal with her, she has refused to carry or even address any of us. She even enforced his staff with her magic, so whoever controls the staff controls the Wind. But because Jokul had been using it as a conduct for his powers for so long, it made it impossible for anyone else but him unable to use it. I've been searching her for a long time for a contract of my own, but there are only few who hear her voice and even fewer who are willing to speak them out. So let's make a deal, your freedom and your staff for Aura's location, sounds fair, no?" Asbit told him and Jack's attempt to buy some time backfired. Now he had even more questions than before.

Like, if what Asbit said about Jokul's staff was true, why was Jack able to control the wind? He had never met her and so she had had no way of passing her magic into his staff. Also… Why were there so few who could understand her words? And why would they not tell Asbit where to find her? Unless, of course, the Wind spirit didn't want to be found. Which meant even if Jack did know where and how to find her, maybe he shouldn't say. It seemed he had taken a moment too long for his thoughts than he should've, for he felt Asbit crouching before him.

"Well? Are you going to tell me where she is?" she asked impatiently. Jack was frantically searching for words that would let him escape this situation and apparently it showed on his face too.

"You're not going to tell me are you? What a stubborn and stupid little thing you are. Do you not understand that here you are completely on my mercy? We are in middle of a desert, there is no way that shadow loving friend of yours will reach here for hours, nor will that trickster be able to find his way through the web of spells I have around my palace. Most of them are useless though, but let's not tell him that, shall we?" she chuckled to herself here, while had felt his stomach drop. _It doesn't make any difference, _he told himself, _you knew you couldn't expect help from the beginning. _But it still filled him with dread. He really was alone, helpless, powerless.

"So how, do you think, you'll ever be able to escape from my reach? I will have what I want and there is nothing you can do to-" she was interrupted when a clear and calm voice full of power called out.

"Perhaps I, instead, can make some difference then, hmm?" the room fell silent, the only sounds Jack could hear were his rabidly beating heart and shallow breathing. He knew he should recognize that voice, but he didn't know that many female spirits, much less had he spent enough time with them to memorize their voices. This certainly wasn't Tooth, nor Aurora, so who…?

"You… What are you doing here?" Asbit asked and Jack could hear her surprise and shock from her voice.

"Is it so wrong of me to come and see my misbehaving _children _every now and then?" the person asked, her voice taking a mocking tone when addressing them as her children. Now, who did he know who would call two nature spirits her children and had enough power to pop by whenever she felt like it? Jack felt even more confused when he connected the dots.

Why would Mother Nature decide to stop for a visit at a desert, especially now?

**-O-**

"Mi-misbehaving? I don't think you have a say in wha-" Asbit started, but was again cut off by the other female.

"Oh, but I do. You see, I have some business with this specific winter spirit here, so if you don't mind, we'll be taking our leave, and you two can catch up later. Is that agreeable to you two? What do you say, Frost?" Mother Nature stated and though Jack felt like his input really would make no difference, he nodded. She practically beamed with satisfaction.

"Well then, what are you still doing down there? Here, you may want this back. Come on then, we are leaving", she told him and Jack winced as something hard hit him on his forehead. Then a familiar cool feeling rushed through his body and a gentle breeze brushed past him with worried whispers. His staff. Feeling lightheaded with relief and the sudden cold crackling round him, he floated past Asbit without a second thought, towards to where he heard the Mother Nature's steps hitting against a stone floor. He never saw the insulted and heated glare Asbit threw at his back, not that it mattered. Most likely it would simply have made him smile wider.

**A/N**

I only now realized how effin' long this chapter is and how long this A/N is going to be... Anyway, I'm back! And it hasn't been a year! I'm only halfway done with the story though, so don't expect another update anytime soon. In a month probably? Also, this one is going to be a lot shorter than Silver Light for Blind eyes, but hopefully just as good. Anyway, I am aware of how long it probably is since you've read the first part, so here is a **small** summary for you and for new readers who don't want to read the previous one. But **be warned, this includes spoilers in case you do want to read the first part.**

The Man in the Moon appointed blind Jack as Pitch's guard and over the three hundred years they became something akin to friends. However, Pitch was still harboring grudge against the Guardians and when Jack starts having trouble with his powers, Pitch takes advantage and escapes. Jack learns the problems he has are because he is Jokul Frosti's reincarnation, but Jokul himself hasn't passed away yet, thus the reincarnation is incomplete and Jokul still has most of the Winter under his control. Jack and the Guardians stop Pitch and they form an alliance to take down Jokul who has also been trapping other spirits in blocks of ice.

While investigating, Pitch gets trapped in Jokul's palace and during the summer when Jack doesn't know where he is, Jack trains with Ondine to get better control of his powers. In autumn Jack learns that Pitch is in his old lair and according to Jack's plan to take down Jokul, they leave to find Loki, who had previously helped Jack to figure out how to find Jokul. Once finding Loki they retreat to North's Workshop, which has been turned to a sanctuary for spirits against Jokul. Before Jack's plan can be put into action though, Jokul busts in and they are forced to flee. Few days later Jack, Loki and Pitch challenge Jokul and the Grim Reaper collects his soul and passes his memories on to Jack. Jack still didn't get his vision back like he had thought he would. They then proceed to free the spirits Jokul had trapped. The story ends with Loki offering to help Jack deal with his newly gained memories and powers and so Jack, Pitch and Loki take off together.

**Spoilers end.**

I feel like I left so much out, but I guess I'll clarify if need arises... Anyway, I've been trying to tune down with all the new spirits and mythoilogy, so mostly you'll be meeting characters that already appeared in Silver Light for Blind Eyes. I'll try to remember and put info boxes in the A/Ns as new myth based characters are introduced, such as:

**Asbit **is the Egyptian goddess of fire. I made her into something akin to a spirit of desert too, it would seem...  
**Loki **is from Norse mythology, trickster god, god of fire and lies and so on. One of my personal favorites from Norse mythology.

Next: Pitch and Loki to the rescue~!


	2. Reunions

**Chapter 2** _Reunions_

Pitch was tired. For months now he had been forced to listen to the two young spirits (well, he liked to refer to them as younger than him, but he wasn't sure how truthful it was) argue over the same facts over and over again. Even if he hadn't been forbidden to take part in Jack's… training, he wouldn't have taken part in it anyway. It was childish to say the least. Jack stubbornly refusing to connect with Jokul's memories and Loki getting snappier each time he had to repeat himself. Not that Pitch could blame him. He couldn't say he supported Jack's stubborn decision, but he knew he was partly at fault there, even if it wasn't intentional. After all, he was a living example of what happened if you let some rather unknown power run wild in your head. Jack just seemed to be unable to believe that not all such powers were malicious or dark.

So he didn't interfere when Loki started with his usual remarks nor when Jack stubbornly decided to ignore his advice. Then Loki asked for his opinion and he almost, _almost, _told Jack to suck it up and do as Loki told him because _he was right_, Jack couldn't keep going like this. Either he'd have to get those memories sealed, along with the powers he had gained, or he would have to accept those memories and experience. But then he had glanced at Jack and realized that should he take Loki's side now, Jack would most likely flee, _again_, and he would have this hurt look on his eyes even if he tried to hide it and… Not that Pitch cared about _that_, obviously.

He just didn't like Jack going too far from him because of the leash the Man in the Moon had given him. He absolutely loathed it, but it wasn't as if he'd been given much choice. Had he refused, the Guardians would most likely have chased him back to his lair with his Nightmares and sealed it up. Not to mention Jack would have stupidly tried to interfere and either come with him or challenged the Guardians. The idea of Jack and the Guardians being hostile against each other sounded good, but damn that little sound in the back of his head reminding him how sad Jack would be and how he would still push on without showing it because apparently he actually _liked _and _cared _about Pitch. Sometimes the thought of it made Pitch feel ill, but more often than not, he felt a weird fondness towards the young winter spirit. It frustrated him to no end.

So to avoid such a conflicting situation, Pitch refused to take part in the duo's argument, and refused to act as a conscience for Jack. When Loki was gone though, Pitch took his chance to point out his opinion. Jack did flee anyway, but it was accompanied by a growl, so Pitch knew he wouldn't be going far and would be back in a day or two. He could've followed him, but despite the general belief, he wasn't Jack's stalker nor his baby sitter. So he stayed behind, guiding his Nightmares and weaving together the fear they brought back to him. It was a mistake, though.

Even Pitch felt the unnatural heat coming from the town Jack had flown off to from where he was. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, but he had kept on doing what he was doing. Jack was most likely getting scolded again for doing something stupid with his powers. It happened once in a few months, more often if the spirits could actually catch him. Which they usually couldn't.

When the heat didn't go down in couple of minutes, he stopped weaving his black sand. Even the summer and fire spirits should know better than to mess too much with the seasons, not to mention Jack would be furious if the heat managed to melt all the snow and ice covering the city. It was where that boy Jack was fond of lived, after all. But at the moment, Pitch could barely feel Jack's winter magic at all.

Now a little bit alarmed, he called for one of his Nightmares and took off towards the town. They had barely managed to take some speed, when Pitch felt the familiar pang of pain in his head, before the ache reached the other parts of his body. As much as he hated to admit it, he fell off his Nightmare, groaning. In his pain hazed mind, he realized that someone must have magically transported Jack. His mind was screaming curses as he tried to push himself on his feet. His arms were trembling and his breathing came out in gasps.

Oh, how he _hated _that bond.

He fell back on the snow his face first. For a brief moment he allowed himself to close his eyes, but when he felt blissful darkness creeping on his mind, he forced them open again. He had to do something. But in this pitiful state… The Nightmare snorted restlessly beside him. Despite the flaring pain, he turned to look up at the horse-like creature. Pitch wasn't stupid, nor particularly stubborn, but he still had his pride. Jack had often joked about how Pitch would rather die before admitting he was wrong on something because of his pride, which Pitch denied of course. Because Pitch had long since learnt what it took to survive and even his pride would not stand in the way of his survival. He would not die.

But it wasn't about his life this time. It was about Jack's. So would he be able to swallow up his pride for Jack's sake? It frightened him that the answer came to him the second he asked the question from himself.

Yes, yes he would.

It took all the strength and concentration he could muster to push himself forward so he could reach the Nightmare. With a slight brush against its sandy mane, he sent forward his order and the Nightmare took off with a not-so-horse-like scream. Now all that was left for him to do was wait. And he waited, curled on the ground and cursing the pain and the bind the Moon had bestowed on him.

-O-

Perhaps it had been only a few minutes, or maybe it had been hours, Pitch really couldn't say, but eventually he heard the sound of heavy hooves hitting on the ground. His Nightmares never made a sound so carelessly while running, so even if he hadn't been able to tell that the sounds of four pairs of legs actually came from one horse, he would have known who it was.

Then heard a silent _thump_, as Loki dismounted and briefly wondered why exactly he had felt the need to contact this spirit in particular. Because they both cared for Jack? In that case it would've been more reasonable to contact the Guardians. No, ever since he met the spirit at the cave when they had been looking for him with Jack, Pitch had seen something similar in the spirit. He had been reluctant of letting him close to Jack, wary of him "staining" the young spirit with the same darkness that Pitch could tell lived deep inside him. It wasn't exactly the same as him though. Loki was clearly in control of it, even to the point that the spirit was good natured and kind, even if he did love trouble. For Pitch, the darkness had come from outside while he had still been "good", a warrior. The darkness and, dare he say, loneliness, had made it fester and grow. While for Loki… He wasn't exactly sure.

Perhaps it was all the years he'd spent as an outcast and had been scorned upon. Perhaps all the times he'd been classified as a villain had at some point turned him into one. Or perhaps it really was simply because of his origin, as he had once claimed to be a child of chaos. Whatever it was, it was something Pitch could somewhat relate to and once he did recognize it as it was, it made it easier to trust the spirit. At least with matters concerning Jack. Jack simply seemed to be a magnet of all kinds of odd spirits and outcasts.

"Pitch? What's up with that spell? I haven't seen it act like that before… Where's Jack?" Loki asked once he had reached Pitch and crouched in front of him. He didn't try and offer to help him up, nor did he voice any concern for his wellbeing of which Pitch was grateful.

"Don't know. Someone transported him somewhere…" Pitch grimaced as another wave of pain hit him "Somewhere far. Very far", he was again pushing himself upwards and managed to get on his knees before collapsing, this time against a thin tree that barely held his weight. Loki was blinking owlishly.

"You mean someone _kidnapped _him?" he asked incredulously and his lips were twitching as if he was straining himself not to laugh. Pitch just glared at him. This was the side he didn't particularly care for in Loki, and in Jack as well. But at the same time… He felt it drawing him in.

"Yes!" Pitch hissed and Loki sobered quickly under the glare Pitch was sending him, before returning the glare with the same force. Before he could snap something back at him though, Pitch growled out: "You can trace him by following this… _spell _between us, can you not?" Loki blinked again and his eyes shifted to look at something over Pitch's chest, before following that something to South-East.

"Yeah…" he answered distantly, before getting up and walking to that monster of a horse and mounting it. He had almost disappeared behind the trees again, when he turned to look back at Pitch, his green eyes sparkling with determination.

"Don't worry, I'll bring your baby boy back!" he stated then with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. Pitch growled.

"You don't need to tell me that", Pitch told him, but he was already far gone. That horse really did have its uses then. Then, finally, Pitch let the darkness hovering at the corners of his mind to close in. His eyes fluttered shut, and he thought that for a brief moment he had caught a sight of long, long black hair and flowing dress that he _knew_, but then it was gone and he fell unconscious.

-O-

The pain was easing up, when he came to. It was still there, pounding in the back of his head and as an ache on his arms and legs, but it wasn't that bad anymore. Finally Pitch could push himself upwards on his feet, snapping in two the little tree that had supported him. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but as he took in his surroundings, it couldn't have been more than an hour or two. The pull on the magical bind was slowly getting easier to bear so Pitch assumed Loki had done his job right for once and was now escorting Jack back.

Impatient to know what had happened, Pitch called for one of his Nightmares and took off towards where the pull was coming from. He didn't have to go too far until the pull was small enough that he was close to losing it, but still… He saw no sign of Jack nor Loki. The forest was silent around him, the setting sun casting few rays of lights on the thin snow cover. With a huff, Pitch signed for his Nightmare to slow down.

Only a moment later the silence was broken by the sound of heavy hooves hitting the ground in trot. Knowing that there were only very few stables around here, and even fewer humans who went riding this late in evening, Pitch took off to the direction where the sound came from. True enough, he soon saw a familiar monster of a horse trotting from the frozen bushes. Though the horse noticed him as soon, if not sooner, as Pitch noticed them, Loki, instead, stayed crouched, his eyes narrowed and locked on the ground.

That was the moment Pitch's Nightmare decided to let out a snort as it grew restless. Loki jumped on Sleipnir's back and Pitch could swear he saw something green flare around his fists, but he didn't take his eyes off the ground.

"I take it you didn't find him?" Pitch asked when Loki simply continued ignoring him. Loki's hand shot up in shushing motion and Pitch blinked in surprise, before frowning. He tended to forget how insolent Loki could be at times… Well, he would overlook it this time as it seemed Loki was really focused on something.

"I did, kind of. Or not. I mean… I kind of know where he is, but… I don't", Loki told him. His frown deepening, Pitch signed his Nightmare to follow after the green eyed spirit and his son. Just as Pitch was about to question his statement, Loki spoke up again: "Look!" He waved at the ground ahead of them. Pitch strained his eyes to see what Loki could be pointing at, but nothing caught his attention. The snow was unblemished, glittering slightly from the sunlight.

"What-" Pitch stated, but then he realized something. It was as if the snow was a bit too unblemished, too even. You know when you fill a cup with powder and shake it carefully and it settles to an even surface? Pitch was fairly sure the snow hadn't originally been clean enough to form such an even surface so he focused his eyes on the spots where something stuck out from the snow and true enough. The ground was vibrating. While it was still looking, something moved beneath the cover of snow, creating a small ripple across the even surface.

"I'm fairly sure I know someone who can use a travelling method like this, I mean, not using tunnels like Bunny and the groundhog, but travelling just beneath the ground. I'm hoping I'm wrong though, because if it really is her… I'm going to have to ask Sleipnir stretch his legs again". Loki told him and if his words weren't enough of a pointer, Pitch could remember one spirit who could use such means of transportation as well. The thought filled him dread, not that he even bothered to acknowledge that particular feeling. His thoughts were more focused on the fact that according to Loki, it wasn't just her down there, but Jack too. Pitch could practically smell the approaching catastrophe. With growing dread, they watched as the ground opened a pathway, the powdered snow falling in. The roots twisted and turned forming a flight of stairs and they heard light steps making their way up the stairs. Pitch and Loki shared a wary look before turning their eyes on the approaching figure.

**-O-**

Jack didn't even notice it, when they suddenly seemed to be walking underground instead of inside some desert building. The air grew colder and the white haired youth sighed in relief. He didn't feel like he was melting anymore. He was content to simply follow behind Mother Nature for about the first ten minutes, while concentrating on the feeling of his various burns frosting over and beginning to heal. When the aching and burning feeling was mostly gone, he finally decided to start wondering why exactly she was there. Had Loki been with him, it would've been understandable, due to her obsession with his friend, but other than that, Jack hadn't had too much contact with her. So why would she rush over in order to help him? Feeling of shame prickled inside him for a moment, realizing he had been _rescued, _but he pushed it aside as soon as it came. He'd just have to do better next time, right?

"So… How come you're actually here?" Jack asked , making it sound as if he was just asking out of boredom. He made sure to keep his gaze slightly downward, as if he wasn't that interested in the subject, while trying to avoid making his blindness obvious. Mother Nature's footsteps didn't falter as she replied: "I was simply curious as to why two elementals were having a spat at times like these. I would have thought that things would calm down after the whole Jokul ordeal." Jack flinched a bit and refrained himself from launching into explanations and apologizes. Something in her voice made him feel like a little kid caught sneaking out cookies. Then she sighed.

"Well, I guess this was to be expected… Those two… I swear if I'll get my hands on them I'll wring their necks…" Jack blinked owlishly as she trailed off, muttering threats under her breath. Jack was itching to ask just who he was talking about, but listening to the venomous tone of her voice, he snapped his mouth shut. She went quiet after a while and they walked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again.

"You do know why she was after you, right?" she asked and Jack jumped a bit in surprise.

"Uh, she said something about wanting to find the Wind, Aura was it?" Jack answered and Mother Nature fell silent for a few seconds. Jack traced his staff, up and down, fingers running over the ever so small cracks it had from being broken to splinters back when Jokul had busted to the Workshop… He shook the memory from his mind, before the anxiety came back.

" Yes… That's right. Asbit has always been a bit paranoid. If only she would realize that the world really isn't as dangerous as she makes it out to be…" Mother Nature sighed, "I just know that twisted old creep and his oh-so-clever scrawny bud are behind this. I just don't get how they seem to seep insanity like a squashed sponge…" Again Jack was left confused as she trailed off. Who was she talking about again? Some spirits caused this change in Asbit? How was that even possible? But then he remembered the change Jokul went through and the sounds of his footsteps faded as he remembered the hallway of ice and a blurry figure standing by a window, swirling some liquid in a glass… With a silent gasp, Jack tore himself from the memories, because _those weren't his, _and he felt that if he dwelled in too deep he wouldn't be coming back. As if the pressure of Jokul's consciousness was hovering there at the back of his mind, just waiting to take over. Because what were a few hundred years worth of memories compared that of a thousand or more?

"You have to be careful, you know. It's tricky business, this thing Jokul started with Aura. Now that the staff no longer works as the seal, even I am surprised the Wind obeys you. She must really like you. Still, should someone find her before you, I'm certain they would find a way to… persuade her to change her afflictions. I would go looking for her myself, if I were you, especially if what I suspect is right and she really was sealed in that- Of course, it's not my business to stick my nose in what goes between every elemental spirit. This is just… a warning if you will", Mother Nature told him and Jack was surprised by her lengthy speech, but now that he thought about it, hadn't she been acting a bit off for the whole time they were talking? Again, Jack heard her sigh and a sound that reminded him of when Pitch rubbed his forehead when Jack had done something, well, stupid. Jack wondered if this, whatever it was that was going on between the elemental spirits was affecting more than she let on.

They didn't speak for the rest of the walk and about an hour later, according to Jack's internal clock, Mother Nature slowed down.

"It seems you have a welcoming committee waiting for you once we get you above ground, here, let me" she spoke up and Jack felt the small rush of air as she waved her arms in a wide arc. Jack tilted his head slightly as he felt the ground vibrate beneath his feet. Then a small sliver of moonlight entered the… whatever they were walking in and Jack watched in amazement as the roots twisted and formed a flight of stairs. Powdered snow fell on the steps and cold air rushed in with the wind that came to greet him with soft whispers. At the same second, Jack felt the ever present buzz off the bind between him and Pitch fade off and smiled. He was about to rush up the stairs to greet him when the sound of Mother Nature's voice made him halt.

"Remember what I said Jack and… I would advise you to take care of this problem of yours, whatever it is that is preventing you from attaining all Jokul's powers and experiment", she stated and for a fragment of second, he thought he heard a tinge of worry in her voice, but it was gone too soon to make sure. Jack nodded and again, was about to take off, when she called out: "And say hello to my father for me!" But Jack didn't grasp the meaning of the words until he was already halfway up the stairs. He halted, turning to look behind him with wide eyes.

"Your father?!" he managed to stutter out, but then he felt the roots under his feet start twisting again and decided it could wait for a bit longer.

Jack stumbled up the last steps just as the ground closed up again. He was immediately met with and exited whoop and pair of hands gripping his shoulders.

"Where have you been, Frost? And what were you doing with my daughter? …_are those burn marks_?"

**A/N**

I lied. It didn't take me a month to post the second chapter. Sorry.  
There is a reason for that. Which is, that I posted the wrong first chapter. Sorry. This events in this chapter were supposed to be included in the last one, and that is why this one is so short. Oh well.

No explanations needed I guess? Except that I'm still not sure if it was a good idea to start this story like this... Too many things happening. And too little happening in this one. Oh well, this story will be pretty fast paced, at least the first part which I've already written, I'm still not sure about the second half, though, since things always happen when I actually start writing even though I already have most of it planned out...

Anyway, thank you for favs and following! Reviews sure would be nice too... *hint hint* :D

Next: Jack makes decisions~ (you can expect it to appear in a month or so I guess. Or I might surprise you again, who knows)


	3. Making Plans

**Chapter 3 **_Making Plans_

It took much longer than Jack would've liked to explain what exactly had happened after he had stormed off so suddenly. And even longer to explain that yes, he was ready to start training, for real this time. The feeling of powerlessness while slowly sinking into burning sand… Well, it wasn't an experience Jack wanted to repeat. Still… He wasn't very ecstatic about having to dwell even deeper on memories that weren't his. It was a necessary evil though, unless of course Jack was planning to let his powers fade away along with the memories.

Loki had warned him about the fact he wouldn't be able to use his powers without drawing on Jokul's experience subconsciously. Jack figured he hadn't completely believed Loki, not until the things that came naturally for him, such as making snowballs and freezing lakes, became harder and harder to complete without having a flashback. Of course he had immediately shut the memory down, but it also meant blocking the flow of winter magic.

That was how Jack found himself perched on a thick branch overlooking a clearing in the middle of nowhere.

"I still think the best way to do this is by you doing the stuff you usually do. Start with something little and for Asgard's sake, don't try to block the memories. Just… I don't know, let them flow? Don't latch on them either. The most important thing you have to remember is that _you are you_, Jack Frost. As long as you remember that you'll be just fine", Loki finished with a nod. Jack sighed on his branch, before slipping his feet from beneath him to sit down properly. Something easy, huh? With a shrug, Jack trailed his fingers over the trunk of the tree, leaving behind patterns of frost. Now that he was concentrating on detecting the unfamiliar memories he could immediately make out the humming in his ears and the feeling as if he was flying, even though he knew he was sitting still securely on his branch. His fingers left the tree trunk and the feeling disappeared. Blinking, Jack glanced down to the silvery figure he knew to be Loki.

"Well?" Loki asked impatiently.

"Give me some time", Jack told him, distracted. If he could do this little by little, one glimpse at a time, maybe he actually _could _do this. And if there was one thing they had as spirits it was time. Loki sighed and nodded slowly, hesitating, but Jack wasn't paying attention anymore, his fingers reaching to touch the branch above him.

**-O-**

Loki watched the young winter spirit pretty much mummifying the tree with frost before turning around and marching to the last shadows of the night. The sun was slowly creeping up the sky making the green eyed spirit frown. He had waited too long already. The tale Jack had told him and how he had described the Mother Nature and Asbit's behavior… it got Loki on the edge. He was the spirit of magic, so it was easy for him to tell when other's magic was on work and for a few months now he had had an unpleasant feeling. It was as if someone was reaching out with their magic, way over their boundaries, stretching and twisting the magic around them to fit their purposes. Loki didn't like it, but the more he tried to make sense of it, the more he could feel it sticking to the edges of his mind. It was very unnerving and made him feel like his center was shifting again. It reminded him of all the things he had gone through, all the things he had done. Things that could easily drive him into insanity should he dwell in them for too long.

Insanity… That's what it all seemed to have been about for couple of years now. It started with Jokul, but after he was gone, it had been twirling around, latching itself into spirits that wandered on the edge. Spirits like Asbit and Mother Nature. Spirits like Loki. Although Loki had a bit of an advantage, since he could tell whenever foreign magic was working on him. He also had a pretty good idea on who was causing all this mess, but before he could do anything about it, he would have to find out more. That was why he was slowly making his way towards Pitch.

"Oi", Loki called out when he got close enough. Well, practically standing over Pitch, since the gray skinned spirit was sitting on the ground, reading some old looking book. Loki could tell he had surprised the spirit, and grinned, although the slightly widened eyes quickly narrowed to a glare as Pitch spotted him.

"What is it now?" Pitch growled out, clearly annoyed at himself for lowering his guard.

"Just thought I'd say bye before leaving", Loki told him while wrapping his scarf more properly around his neck. Pitch raised his non-existent eyebrows.

"Leaving?" he questioned. Loki shrugged.

"You know, people to see, places to be", he explained, lied, nonchalantly. When Pitch narrowed his eyes again Loki almost flinched. Perhaps he had spent too much time around these two, since his lies no more worked as well as they should have.

"Now that you actually got Jack to train properly?" Oh, yeah. Maybe that was why his lie was obvious. Loki honestly liked the younger spirit. It had been a long time he had spent time with someone who had the same sense of humor he did. Well, actually, it had been a long time since he had spent time with anyone that wasn't Sleipnir or Hel or… Loki forced his thoughts away. It was still painful to remember Jormungandr, although it had been almost two hundred years since he faded. Loki sighed.

"Alright, alright… I kind of have something to do. There's something that has been bothering me lately, bugging in the back of my mind and I-" Loki was cut off by how Pitch's face adopted a thoughtful and understanding look. Stunned, Loki gaped. It wasn't often Pitch looked him with anything else than glare or slightly annoyed or frustrated look even though they did come along pretty well.

"It's about the same thing that was bothering Mother Nature and Asbit, is it not?" Pitch asked.

"How did you…?" Loki trailed off at Pitch's sharp look.

"I may not have power over magic, but even I can tell when there is something whispering in the back of my mind, urging me into darkness", Pitch told him and Loki gaped. He figured he really hadn't been giving Pitch enough credit. Pitch Black was an old spirit and though there was little Loki actually knew about the elusive spirit he knew he was smart and quick at drawing deductions. And he guessed it made sense that Pitch had become very good at recognizing the things affecting his mind along with those that did not belong. So he nodded rather dumbly and took a step back, about to take his leave, but stopped.

"Oh and… I think Jack will stick to recalling small things for a little while, but when he does move on to complete memories… You may be needed to remind him of who he is every now and then", Loki told him and Pitch nodded slowly. Loki felt a bit bad leaving at a time like this, but it wasn't like he could do much even if he did stay. And it may have been the best even for Jack. Pitch was a rather neutral spirit for Jokul, since they had hardly ever been in contact while Loki and Jokul had once been rather close acquaintances. It could have gotten very confusing for Jack to emerge from one of Jokul's memories of him just so see someone from Jokul's memories still standing right in front of him.

He was shaken from his thoughts as Sleipnir trotted up to him, pushing gently against his hand. Silently asking him if he was okay. Loki smiled softly, playing with his son's mane to assure him, before climbing on his back. It had taken years for Loki to get used to the idea of riding on the back of his son, who he knew was more intelligent than his supposed brother. Almost as smart as he was, actually. But Sleipnir had kept bugging him about it day and night until Loki had finally given up and climbed on his back. After the first time Loki had never wanted to get down again.

Sleipnir dug his hooves on the snow, his muscles tense as he was about to take off… Loki casted a look behind him where his friend was painting trees with his frost, clearly lost in moments and feelings that weren't his. A stab of worry ghosted on Loki's mind. There couldn't be a worst timing for Jack to start struggling with himself… Although, Loki could be wrong. It could be just a passing change in magic generally. It had happened once or twice before, when people's views on magic and world changes drastically and the magic surrounding them took a form more suiting to their views. Loki sighed and Sleipnir took off.

Well… it was healthy to have dreams.

**-O-**

Jack was completely oblivious to the world around him. His unseeing eyes were focused on scenery existing only on his mind. He was flying… no, _Jokul _was flying. The wind was laughing and tugging on his clothes, almost as excited as he was. Then he blinked and the scenery faded into darkness that Jack had somewhat grown accustomed to.

It had been two days already. Two days filled with frost and memories. Two days without Loki. Jack was still curious as to why the green eyed spirit had left them, though Pitch kept insisting it was simply because he could do nothing to help Jack even if he were there. Pitch had added he would have left by now too, if it wasn't for the bind. Actually, now that Jack thought about it, Pitch had stayed closer to him than usual after the whole deal with Asbit.

"I guess I'm not the only one affected by that incident then", Jack muttered to himself as he dusted his hoodie off the frost that had gathered there. His hand brushed against the flower twined over his chest and he mentally thanked Bunny for making the flower's resistance to frost and cold so high.

"Hey, Pitch?" Jack asked loudly in order to pinpoint the older spirit. He received a small swishing sound from somewhere to his right and turned that way. Among with reliving glimpses of Jokul's memories, Jack had had a lot of time to think. What Asbit and Mother Nature had told him about the Wind still bothered him somewhat, enough for him to try and strike a conversation with it, something he had never done before. It... didn't go exactly as he had planned. It had started with Jack's awkward hello and the Wind had laughed at him and ruffled his hair. Jack had almost given up on embarrassment, but the Wind had started whispering again, telling him tales of what was happening all around the world. It spoke with many voices, so it was hard to catch more than few words of each.

Then Jack had finally mustered enough courage to ask the Wind about Jokul. And the Wind had gone silent. Jack had never heard it gone silent quite like that other than when he had lost his staff. It had been unnerving and Jack had been about to apologize when the Wind had answered him. It didn't answer his question, not like he expected it to at least. Instead, it had whispered two words before falling silent again.

_Find me._

And that was why, almost twelve hours later, Jack was finally approaching Pitch about it. Jack just couldn't find a reason as to _why _he would have to find it- her. The Wind carried him just fine, which meant that the deal she had made with Jokul still worked, right? But still… Jack wasn't exactly sure what the Wind meant to him. It- _she _wasn't his friend exactly, nor did Jack actually even know anything about her. She was just… A companion? Something that was always with him. Jack couldn't imagine being who he was without the Wind. And now the Wind had asked him to find her? Jack wasn't sure he wanted to. If he actually did meet her… Was she just like any other spirit? Spirit of Wind… What would she look like? What was she like? How would things change if he actually got to know the person behind the Wind? But she had asked him to find her… With a frown, Jack approached Pitch, before settling down to sit next to him.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Jack could occasionally hear Pitch turning pages of the book he was reading. Where did he get those anyway? Shaking the thought from his mind, Jack fiddled with his staff, wondering how to begin…

"Just spit it out already, Frost", Pitch growled then making Jack jump a bit. Scowling, Jack forced himself to lower his hands along with his staff.

"I want to go look for the Wind" Jack blurted out. Then he felt like hitting himself. That didn't sound cryptic at all. He was about to clarify, but Pitch spoke out before he could.

"You mean Aura?" Pitch questioned and Jack heard him close his book with a _thump_. It must be a pretty thick book. Jack was about to reach for it to find out for himself, but then blinked and refrained himself when he remembered Pitch's question. Then he frowned. Pitch seemed to notice the change and sighed.

"I was already expecting this after what you told us what Mother Nature told you. I'm surprised it took you this long to make up your mind, though", Pitch said evenly and Jack blinked again. Oh yeah, he did tell them that. Then he smirked. It was odd hearing Pitch talk about Mother Nature after hearing him slip up once. Jack still didn't know much about what had happened between them, but for once, he didn't feel like prying either. If Pitch wanted to tell him, which he doubted, he would listen, but he didn't particularly care. He had spent three hundred years with Pitch, if it was important he would know about it already.

"I…" Jack wondered what he should say. Pitch had already known he would go looking for her before he did? Somehow it didn't surprise him, but still… "…she asked me to. To find her that is." He could practically feel Pitch staring at him. Then the older spirit sighed and put away his book. Where to, Jack didn't know and didn't get the time to ask before the older spirit had brushed the snow off his robe.

"So, where to?" Pitch asked while Jack climbed on his feet.

"I have no idea" Jack told him with a grin.

**-O-**

A week later, Jack still had no idea from where to start looking for Aura, so he and Pitch just wandered around aimlessly. Somehow, though, they ended up back at Burgess, or more accurately at the lake near Burgess. Due to Jack's distraction for the last couple of weeks, the winter had been pretty thaw and the lake had barely frozen. Out of habit, Jack found himself skipping across the ice, strengthening it. Losing a life to it twice was enough for him and he had no intentions of letting the tragedies continue if he could help it. Even if the first one had ended up with him becoming a spirit by the choice of the Moon, because he had saved his little sister…

Jack stopped abruptly, blinking. His sister… Come to think of it, he still had no idea what had happened to her. He hoped she had gotten to live a full life and that she didn't spend too much time grieving for him, but he still didn't know for sure. But he had a chance to find out, didn't he? His mind flashed back to the deal he had made with the Grim Reaper. Well, he hadn't exactly known what he would want to ask the Grim Reaper, not until he got his memories back. But he'd never had the chance to ask the question. First he had been busy with the whole Guardians and Jokul thingy and after that… Well, it had slipped his mind.

But now that he stood at the same spot he had drowned in so many years ago, the ache in his chest was as fresh as it had been three hundred years ago. Oh, he really did miss his sister. Her wide, innocent brown eyes and her bright smile and childish giggles. She was long gone already, but maybe, if he knew what had happened to her, it would make it easier to remember. But then again, was this really the right time to be wondering about that? Even though they had no clue where to look for the Aura, Jack felt like by going after the memory of his sister he would be neglecting Aura. And while he hated to admit it, the fate of his sister wouldn't be going anywhere, but Aura, the Wind, his companion…

Jack's eyes widened. Of course! He _did_ have a reason to pay a visit to the Grim Reaper after all! Other than because of his sister that is. Because other than Aurora, who was the person who knew most of Jokul's comings and goings? Someone who had been his friend for centuries… Aurora, Jack knew, had only known Jokul for about half a millennia, but Jokul had been able to fly long before that. And the only one Jack knew that had known Jokul longer that Aurora was the Grim Reaper.

Grinning widely Jack spun around to where he saw Pitch's silvery figure standing by the dark, dark shadows. Before Jack could voice out his idea though, he heard Pitch groan.

"What is it now, Frost? Just so you know, no, I won't try skating with you and no, I won't be having a snowball fight with you and the little brats. So unless the Wind decided to prove itself useful and tell you where to find her, I don't really care what you are about to say with that big, stupid grin on your face", Pitch told him and Jack pouted a bit. Pitch had seemed to become more and more grumpy as the days went by. Jack was too excited to dwell on it right now though so he just shook his head and replaced the grin back on his face.

"No, I still don't know where to find her", Jack told him and Pitch heaved a sigh.

"But", Jack started and watched as Pitch tilted his head ever so slightly, "I may know someone who does." Jack could tell Pitch had more than a few suspicions about this source of his, but at least he didn't voice them. Besides, Jack was sure that if someone other than Jokul knew where to find Aura, it was Thanatos, the Grim Reaper. Well, pretty sure, like, almost 100%. Or maybe 80%...? Or 70%... However it was, it was better than nothing.

**-O-**

Jack was glad he didn't have to run through different graveyards or hospitals this time, but still… How was he supposed to do this again? He had told Pitch he could call Thanatos to wherever they went, but… What if he couldn't? Maybe it only worked on certain places or something. Besides, what was he supposed to do anyway? Should he just yell his name, or was it enough if he just stated it normally. And how was he even supposed to greet him? From which time would Thanatos be coming from this time? Jack frowned and turned to glance at Pitch who was standing little behind him in order to give them some privacy while still being able to hear what they said. One of Pitch Nightmares was standing by him, but Pitch had refused to tell him why he had called for it. He had just cast a blank look at Jack when he had asked about it.

They were still by the lake, but Jack wasn't standing on the ice anymore, since it tended to make some spirits uncomfortable to be so clearly standing in his element, at least according to Pitch. Though Pitch himself had no trouble trusting Jack to make sure he wouldn't fall through the ice anytime soon.

When Pitch cast a pointed look at him, Jack realized he was stalling. With a sigh, he turned around and ran his fingers though his snow white hair. Alright, he would just… Say it out loud. If it didn't work he would say it louder. If it still didn't work they could just go to a graveyard or something and try again.

"Thanatos?" Jack finally called out. The Wind stilled briefly, before blowing faster as if to carry his words even further. They stood still for a few minutes and waited.

Nothing happened.

Jack was gathering up his confidence to yell the name, when Pitch's Nightmare snorted nervously and would have dissolved into black sand had Pitch not been standing beside it to comfort it. Jack turned to look at them briefly and stilled, narrowing his eyes. Someone was walking out from the tree line. Someone wearing a long worn robe and carrying a scythe.

Thanatos barely spared a glance at Pitch and his Nightmare as he passed them. Instead his eyes were focused on Jack who was grinning widely by now, feeling unnecessarily proud of his achievement. Thanatos stopped, leaving a couple of meters between them and lowered his hood. The first time Jack had met him, it had been a moonless night and Jack hadn't been able to make out much of the figure. The second time he met the Grim Reaper, he hadn't been in the right set of mind to inspect him and he had been wearing his hood.

Now Jack could make out the slightly wavy shoulder length hair, high cheekbones and slender neck. Thanatos had told him his hair and eyes were black, while his skin was almost unnaturally pale. Jack found it refreshing to be able to imagine the colors along with seeing the silvery figure, even though being able to actually _see _them himself would have been even more refreshing. _Maybe one day,_ Jack thought to himself wistfully. After all, Jokul hadn't been blind and now that the winter wasn't split between them anymore Jack felt like it wasn't too wrong to hope to someday be able to see the world the way everyone else could.

"You know, it really is rare for people or spirits alike to call for death personally", Thanatos stated and Jack was brought back to the present. Then he grinned.

"Would you have preferred I run through each graveyard in the country again, instead?" Jack asked. His nerves were finally calming down and he leaned on his staff, crossing his ankles. Thanatos looked at him blankly, tilting his head.

"…You did that?" Thanatos asked him and Jack blinked. That wasn't right. Shouldn't Thanatos know that already? Shrugging it off Jack just smiled.

"I take it that means you have met me at least once already. Given I've also told you how to reach me", Thanatos said and Jack's smile faltered. Oh crap.

"You… don't know me yet? Or haven't… reaped me?" Jack asked, his previous enthusiasm gone. Thanatos didn't answer immediately, as if he was pondering how to phrase his next statement. Then he nodded slowly to himself and lowered his scythe slightly, relaxing.

"One of the disadvantages of having been born before the Time itself. I do know who you are however, Jack Frost, but any interactions I have, or rather, that I will have with you have yet to happen. But perhaps you could enlighten me as to why I gave you my name? For all my existence there are but few spirits who know by which name to reach me", Thanatos explained and Jack refrained from letting the disappointment show on his face. He couldn't stop himself from slumping a bit though, and heaving a sigh.

"I… uh… I guess I did you a favor of sorts…? You know I'm Jokul Frosti's reincarnation, right? You asked me something involving his passing and I did my best to go through with it. The thing is… You kind of promised me something in return" Jack told him, slightly shuffling his feet. He glanced behind him to see Pitch staring at him with narrowed eyes and flinched inwardly. He hadn't told Pitch about that deal, it would seem.

"Oh? And what was that?" Thanatos asked, taking it all in without missing a beat. Jack let himself relax a bit again. Maybe this would turn out alright after all.

"Um… Had you reaped me already you would know I left behind someone very precious to me. I was hoping… You could tell me how she died", Jack said, his eyes falling on his toes. Suddenly it felt like a very selfish and meaningless request. He was about to take it back, tell Thanatos to forget all about it, when Thanatos already answered.

"I'm sorry", he said and Jack's words got stuck in his throat. What…? What did he mean by that? His eyes widened and for a moment he couldn't breathe. Had something horrible happened to his sister? What if she had actually drowned at the lake with him? What if…? Thanatos seemed to take notice of his panic and rushed to continue.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I cannot give you the information you seek as of yet", Jack's breathing evened out slowly, his heartbeat slowing down with heavy beats. So… the Grim Reaper hadn't collected her soul yet? Jack closed his eyes and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Well, he would just have to wait a little bit longer. He could do that, right? Besides, he really did have other things to think about right now. So with new found determination, he forced a smile on his lips and straightened his slumped form.

"Oh well. There is something else I would like to ask you though", Jack said with a confident smile. Thanatos lifted his eyebrows. He didn't seem offended or bothered. In fact judging from the ever so small tilt of his lips, Jack would have guessed that he was delighted.

"And what would that be?" And so Jack explained to him about the Wind, Aura and what Mother Nature and Asbit had told him. How the Wind had told him to find it and finally, Jack led the conversation on Jokul and if Thanatos happened to know anything about Aura's location. To his disappointment though, Thanatos shook his head sadly.

"I'm afraid Jokul hasn't shared that information with me and I doubt he ever will. But you told me you are his reincarnation, did you not? Could you not just find the information you seek from his memories?" Thanatos asked him and Jack felt like something had gotten stuck on his throat. He knew, of course, that through Jokul's memories he would most likely be able to find her, but… Even the small moments he had spent in Jokul's memories this far were disorienting and the couple of memories he had gone through that involved actual scenes playing out had left Jack feeling… odd. For few moments he hadn't been quite himself, but not Jokul either. Only when he had seen Pitch had he been able to ground himself and push aside the remnants of the memory. Even those memories were short though and revolved around Jokul's everyday life. How would it turn out if the memories concerned strong emotions or familiar spirits? Would Jack be able to return to himself? He wasn't very keen on finding out.

While Jack fought with himself inwardly, Thanatos inspected his reaction carefully and while the Reaper couldn't tell why, he could tell the young winter spirit had some trouble reaching for his previous self's memories and experience.

"I… Our exchange… I mean, I could, but…" Jack tried to form his feelings into words, but nothing came to mind. Fortunately, Thanatos had grasped the general idea from their conversation. After all, he had much experience at connecting separate information. He'd had a lot of practice.

"Then I would suggest you look for her from her home", Thanatos told them and with that he decided he had stalled for long enough. He could feel a soul needing to be departed close by and knew he would have to get to it as soon as possible should the soul actually reach the afterlife.

With a slight shift in the air, as if the Wind had suddenly slowed down, he was gone.

Jack stared blankly at the spot where the Grim Reaper had been standing only a second ago. "Look for her from her home" he had said. It would be a whole lot easier if Jack actually knew where her home was!

Sulking, Jack turned around and made his way to Pitch. Neither of them said anything as they left the lake. They weren't heading anywhere, just walking as the sun chased away the darkness, and for Jack, his vision.

"Well wasn't that helpful", Jack muttered to himself as they walked and Pitch snorted. Still, something kept nagging in the back of Jack's mind. Something about what the Grim Reaper said. "Look for her from her home". Jack's mind was whirring, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was that kept bugging him.

"From her home… From… Her… Home… Oh!" Jack shouted suddenly, making Pitch flinch at the sudden noise and throw a glare at him.

"I know who we should go see next", Jack stated, excited. He didn't know where her home was, but Jack knew a spirit who seemed to know where everyone's homes were. …Probably. Pitch was doing a successful job at glaring at him and looking curious at the same time.

"We're going to Japan!" Jack told him. The older spirit closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

**A/N**

It... hasn't... been a month...? I think? Huh. Well, anyway, I have a pretty important exam week going on (because not every exam week is important, duh) and it's also my last one so... Wish me luck! (I should be studying right now too...)

After that I should have some more time to write and maybe actually finish writing this story... (still about ten more chapters to go...) In other words, you still have changes of affecting some bits of the story by giving me suggestion and stuff. :D (I do have the main plot and ending decided but in case you want some specific spirits/scenes included (won't promise I'll do it, but I'll concsider it))

Some explanations...  
**Thanatos **Is the Greek god of Death (Yes, no, not Hades, who is the god of the Dead and Underworld), whom I personally am pretty interested in and thus the Grim Reaper is called that in this story.  
...I don't think there is any more necessary explanations needed, but in case I'm wrong, ask away, I won't bite.

Reviews:  
**jayleaf1 **Umm... You're welcome...? ^_^' And Mother Nature is Pitch's daughter from when he was human (or something alike at least). You'll find more about him and her from googling it or actually reading the books (which I clearly haven't done, sorry). Thank you for your review though~

**chibissima **Yay, thank youuu~ And you're very welcome. :3

**The Gun Slick** Thank you! ^_^ And now you know my suffering when going though RotG fanfics with evil Pitch... :'D I'm sorry for inflicting it to you too. And oh, wow. Wow. I feel like thanking you for liking Loki, but I guess that would sound weird...? (I was/am actually worried of giving him a too big role, but your review kind of made me feel more confident about it, so thanks~)

Until next time~ Which is in couple of weeks I guess...

Next: It's going to end in a cliffhanger. Don't hate me. :3


	4. Old Friends

**Chapter 4 **Old Friends

Pitch was feeling anxious. And bored. And frustrated. And… Well, you get the idea. All this Jack could tell from a single annoyed sigh. Well, in all honesty, it was a surprise he heard it at all, since he was busy re-living memories that weren't his. And how was he doing that if they were supposedly headed for Japan? Well, Jack had deemed that now that he had gotten a little better at just letting the memories flow though him, he could move on to little bit more difficult tasks and decided to get started on it in the area he was most familiar with. Which was freezing stuff.

Obviously, freezing things while flying was a bit hard so he had thought it would be a brilliant idea to walk all the way to Japan. Yes, walk. Over the seas. He still wasn't comfortable being so close to deep water, but he had faith in his powers, and Pitch, that he overcame that fear. For now at least.

Another step and a new patch of water got frozen and formed an uneven ground. The memories were stronger since he was using more of his power. Now he could feel the snow beneath his feet, smell the forest around him… And still, he knew he was walking on ice and the Wind brought with it the salty smell of the sea. In his mind, he saw the Winter Palace, but when he opened his eyes, he saw the silvery figure of Pitch trotting little above him on his Nightmare. And sighing.

The sigh was what pulled Jack from the flow of memories and he glanced up to see Pitch glaring at him wearily.

"It's going to take forever to reach Japan at this pace", Pitch pointed out and Jack shrugged.

"We have time, don't we?" Jack stated, tilting his head. Pitch sighed and muttered something under his breath, before turning away. Jack frowned. Again with that grumpy appearance. Why was that? What had changed? First Jack had thought it had been because Pitch had been worried about him, what with him getting kidnapped by the spirit of fire and all. But when Pitch's mood didn't seem to be improving, Jack wasn't sure what to do about it. He couldn't even blame it on Loki, since he hadn't shown up in days. Finally Jack decided he'd really have to do something about it and took a deep breath. Interrogating Pitch was never fun.

Interrogating grumpy Pitch was even worse.

"So… What's up with you?" Jack asked and immediately felt like slapping himself. Smooth, Jack, very smooth. Pitch seemed to think so too, as he shot a slightly amused, but mostly annoyed, glare at him.

"Nothing is 'up with me', Frost", Pitch stated and Jack snorted.

"Yeah right. Alright mister grumpy pants, since there is nothing wrong with you, I think we could take a detour by the North Po-" Jack was cut off by a hasty disapproving, slightly whining, sound made by Pitch and for a few seconds Jack could just stare. Pitch did not make noises like that. Pitch did not do "hasty" or "whiny". He always thought his words though and calculated his actions at least twice before executing them. Something really was wrong with him and it seemed Jack had been right with his wild guess that Pitch was in a hurry. But in hurry to where? Why? What was going on?

"Pitch…" Jack started but trailed off, not sure how to begin. Pitch was usually the one doing all the encouraging and making sure Jack was fine. Jack just… made sure he was always there to pull Pitch from his shadows once in a while. And it had been enough. It had always been enough. But suddenly it wasn't. Before Jack could make up the words he knew he needed to make Pitch speak up, Pitch already sighed, _again_, and said: "Jack, really, I'm fine. I will be fine. As long as…" And he trailed off, his voice sounding tired and guarded at the same time.

"As long as?" Jack tried, but Pitch remained silent and they continued on their way, Jack freezing the ground and gently pushing aside the memories that threatened to take over his conscious mind. He would have to give in soon.

"You noticed it with Asbit and… Mother Nature, did you not? They were… How to say it… Unstable?" Jack almost jumped when Pitch spoke up again, but nodded anyway, eager to hear what was going on in his father-figure's mind, though their relationship probably wasn't exactly how one would view a father-son relationship… At least not in the traditional sense. Jack shook the ponderings from his mind, trying to focus on Pitch's words. A salty wind pushed past them and the waves hit against Jack's ice noisily.

"Loki thinks he knows what is causing it, but a fact is that, whatever it _actually_ is, it's affecting everyone. Shaking spirits and the stability of their minds, starting with those who are already on uneven ground. Resurfacing old feelings, guilt, anger, bitterness…", Pitch told him and for a moment Jack wondered if he should pretend like he understood what Pitch was talking about. In the end he just decided not to, he wasn't a very good liar, and looked at Pitch blankly. Jack could just tell Pitch's nonexistent eyebrow was twitching.

"Insanity, Jack. I'm talking about insanity spreading like a wildfire among the spirits", Pitch told him, "Loki noticed it first of course, but… I can feel it too, lurking in the edges of my mind. You've been affected too." Jack blinked owlishly. Really? He didn't feel any different. Maybe he had always been insane…

"You've been freaking out a lot more than you used to, when Jokul or his legacy are involved. Fortunately, you were able to overcome it, somewhat at least, but…" Pitch paused for a bit, suddenly looking like a heavy weight had been laid on his shoulders, "Not all of us can just push through it like you did. For some of us, the darkness and the madness it brings with it is always ghosting in our minds, waiting." Jack felt like something got stuck in his throat and he looked worriedly at Pitch, wondering, fearing. He had thought he had gotten over this, worrying if Pitch would leave him alone again, but there it was again. Maybe it would always be there. Jack hated it, hated himself for not trusting Pitch enough, for letting the shadows of doubt ghost in his mind. So he did what he usually did. He crushed them under his feet and forced himself back in the present.

"And being tied like this…" fury flashed in Pitch's voice, burning hot as he referred to the bind between them, the one keeping Pitch from wandering too far, made by the Moon. "Well, it certainly isn't helping. But… At least it keeps me close. As long as you keep reminding me why I am here, I'll be fine."

And just like that the bits of doubt vanished and Jack dared to breathe again.

They didn't speak for a long time after that. Pitch having already said what he needed to, and more, and Jack not finding the words he could use to ease Pitch's burden. And it was scary, because he always had the words, he knew what to say when his sister was afraid, what to do to ease other's anger and how to rile them up. He knew how to apologize and how to forgive, but now… This time, he had nothing.

And it scared him.

**-O-**

Jack had been once again scanning through Jokul's memories when Pitch spoke an hour or so later.

"The sun will be rising in an hour. You think it would be a good idea to reach the land before that happens?" Pitch asked him and Jack blinked away the remnants of the Winter Palace from his mind. Tilting his head he made a quick estimate of time with his internal clock and had to admit that Pitch was right. It was the high time he started flying again.

With a shrug, Jack ceased his freezing, wondering how was it possible he didn't feel strained at all after spending hours freezing the ocean, but shrugged it off as a side effect for finally letting some of Jokul's being in. He took a couple of more steps before asking the Wind to pick him and lifted his feet to step on the stream of air…

Just to stumble with a yelp as nothing caught his feet. His stomach lurched uncomfortably as he faced the black, black waves, waving his arms in order to catch his balance…

Someone pulled on his hood and he stumbled backwards and hit against something rough. He glanced behind him to see Pitch's Nightmare behind him with frowning Pitch sitting on its back. The Nightmare snorted and pushed him gently as if to reprimand him for being careless. Jack grinned back sheepishly.

He then turned around again, his grind vanishing from his lips. He called for the Wind again and it ruffled his hair, whispering in confusion. Jack decided to try again and feeling the Wind brush by him again, he tried catching it. For a second, he thought he was flying, the Wind pushing him upwards, but then it was gone as suddenly as it had appeared and with a yell, Jack's feet hit the ice, but the sudden drop made him lose his balance and again he was falling towards the broken edges of his floating piece of ice. Quickly he made to freeze the water properly, but he knew he would be too late.

This time it was long fingers curling around his upper arm and yanking him upwards. Blinking, Jack found himself sitting in front of Pitch on the Nightmare's back. He let a shaky breath escape his lips.

"What was that, Frost?" Pitch inquired as soon as Jack's shoulders relaxed.

"I… I'm not sure. I just couldn't… Like the Wind couldn't carry me even though it's right _there_", Jack told him, his mind still running overtime because of the scare. He glanced over his shoulder to see Pitch frown. But then they both caught the sight of the lightening horizon and Pitch spurred the Nightmare forward.

The speed and the wind prevented them from talking more, but it didn't stop Jack from wondering just why had the Wind suddenly ceased to be able to carry him. What had changed?

**-O-**

By the time Jack could spot the familiar outline of the mountains and the valley, he was harboring a major headache. He had tried to inquire the Wind about what had happened, but the Wind wouldn't answer, at least, not the way he could understand. Instead it kept whispering worried statements about everything and nothing. Most of all, it kept repeating "find me" or "hurry", making Jack want to dash off to find her immediately despite not knowing where to go.

Thus, he could be found rubbing his forehead as Pitch's Nightmare begun it's descend. Jack wondered if this one had been one of the few he had herded here when he had been looking for them across the world… Probably, since it seemed to know exactly where they were headed to.

When the first rays of sunlight washed away Jack's vision, the Nightmare's hooves hit the ground and it dashed towards the pathway running between the mountains. Once in the safety of shadows, it slowed to a trot and snorted contently.

Jack could feel Pitch relax behind him as well. Deeming it safe to get off the horse, Jack pushed against Pitch to swing his leg over the Nightmare's neck. Pitch grunted, but didn't comment on his show of agility, deeming it enough to just glare at him wearily. Jack grinned in return, despite not seeing the glare, and jogged to keep up with the Nightmare, before running ahead when he saw the end of the dark pathway coming up.

By then something was nagging in the back of his mind, something he had done last time he was there, but the harder he tried to remember the further away it slipped. So Jack simply shrugged it off and dashed towards the shrine. In his haste he hit his shoulder against what he assumed was the _torii_ gate and decided he should wait for Pitch to catch up. Which he did, muttering something intangible under his breath, though Jack thought he did hear the words "sun" and "hyperactive winter spirits".

Pitch brushed past him and Jack followed the sound of his footsteps meekly. Once they reached the entrance, Jack took the lead again, sliding the door open and slipping inside.

"Hello! Anyone here? Tengu?" he called out as he walked down the empty hallways. He heard Pitch trailing behind him, close to the walls. Probably trying to blend into the shadows, Jack thought to himself, but didn't dwell on it. He had more urgent things to do. No one had answered his calls and somehow, Jack noticed as they wandered further, the place felt colder. It didn't seem as inviting and safe as it had two years ago. Had the tengu left the place? Jack wondered, it seemed a bizarre thought to him, as the winged spirit's center was supposed to be "home". Why would he leave his?

Then Jack felt like hitting himself. How could he have forgotten? The place had been abandoned for decades and the tengu had been trapped there, hadn't he? But Jack had opened the pathway through the mountains in hopes of someone discovering this place so the tengu could leave… Jack sighed. So they had made the trip in vain? Still, just to make sure, he asked Pitch to find a room with empty shelves on it.

Few minutes later Jack walked into the room he had only spared a glance during his last visit. This time he didn't have moonlight showing him the way, so he slid his fingers along the shelves to find what he was looking for. His fingers lingered on the few worn statuettes, but soon moved on when he realized they weren't what he was looking for. Then his fingers brushed over a shelf that didn't seem quite as worn and hope peaked in him until his fingers ran over the surface. Nothing. The statuette was gone, which meant the Tengu really had been freed. Jack backed out from the room, before stopping to lean on the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. He heard Pitch approach him and settle down beside him. For a long time, they sat there in silence.

-O-

"So, what next?" Pitch asked and Jack jolted. He blinked a few times, before he could register the words. He hesitated.

"I guess… We could go look for Aurora and ask if Jokul ever told her about Aura…" Jack suggested weakly, knowing it wouldn't lead them anywhere.

"You don't seem to think of it as likely", Pitch noted dryly. Jack sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's just… Something Jokul said before he…" Jack tried not to think about that moment, remembering how the old man had closed his eyes, relaxed and never taken another breath. Remembering the moment he had _died. _And it was Jack's doing,_ he had killed-_

But he hadn't. Not really. Jokul was still inside him, his memories, his powers. Just… Not his consciousness. _But would it appear too? _Once Jack had dug deep enough into his memories and-No. Loki told him he wouldn't be affected, changed, by Jokul's emotions. They were just memories, not even his own.

But didn't that mean he _had _indeed killed- _Shut up_, Jack told himself, but he could remember Aurora's tears glimmering in the moonlight, her wavering voice… _Don't think about it_.

Jack had never had had trouble with pushing aside thoughts he didn't feel like dwelling in, but this guilt was sticking to him like glue, no matter how many times he tried ripping it off. _Why _was he thinking about it in the first place? It hadn't bothered him for a year, so why…

Pitch shifted slightly beside him, and Jack realized he'd taken a moment too long to continue his statement. He coughed awkwardly into his fist. _Just keep moving forward_, he told himself, _don't stop_.

"He said he couldn't find _her_ and I really think he meant the Wind, Aura. But that shouldn't be possible, right? Since he made a deal with her…" Jack had seen the hazy image, felt the vague feeling of accomplishment and affection and he knew Jokul had been with Aura in that brief memory and they had formed a contract of sorts. Jack knew, but he couldn't remember. Jokul couldn't remember. Why was that? What had made him forget?

"I think… He did something to forget it", Jack finished and Pitch nodded slowly beside him, though Jack couldn't see it.

"Alright. So basically you are saying that the only spirit in this world who knows where the Wind spirit is made himself forget it as soon as he discovered it?" Pitch questioned. Jack smiled sheepishly and nodded. Pitch let out a long suffering sigh.

"What are we doing Jack? Why are we chasing ghosts?" Pitch asked him and Jack tilted his head curiously.

"She asked me to, remember? Besides, I've barely been able to feel the Wind once we reached Japan. I can hear her, but… She really can't carry me anymore", Jack told him.

"Do you need to be able to fly?" Pitch asked and something in his voice made Jack tense. _Dumbass,_ Jack told himself, _it' just Pitch_. Jack didn't have time to respond before he felt Pitch's long fingers wrapping around his wrist. He blinked in surprise.

"We can travel through the shadows, can't we? And we do have my Nightmares", Pitch said, his voice soft. Jack frowned. His shoulders dropping a bit.

"But they're _yours _Pitch. Not mine, I can't… With the Wind I can be _free_", Jack said and it was as if he had turned a switch. Pitch flinched, his hand leaving Jack's wrist and he groaned. Worriedly, Jack scooted closer, but Pitch quickly got on his feet and retreated.

"I'll be back by the sundown", Pitch stated and before Jack could protest, he could feel the air shift and Pitch was gone. Jack stared with unseeing eyes to where he had last heard Pitch's voice.

Had he said something wrong? But Pitch knew how much flying meant to him, why would he even suggest Jack to give it up? And hadn't they already gone through the whole shadow thing? Hadn't they already decided not to hide from the world? Shivers ran down Jack's spine and his instincts were practically screaming at him, but he pushed it aside, climbing on his feet. He might as well get something done today, if he was going to be stuck here.

**-O-**

…well. He had certainly gotten "something" done, Jack noted to himself as he gazed inside the shrine at the hallways covered by solid ice and frost. It hadn't been his intention, mind you! He had been going through Jokul's memories, but then Pitch Nightmare had stomped in and started drooling in his hair. How it had ended up with Jack skating through the hallways and rooms chasing the stupid sand horse, Jack honestly had no clue. But yeah, that happened. Now Jack was sitting on top of the _torii _gate, waiting for Pitch to appear. The moon had just come up, making it possible for Jack to use the trees growing by the gate to climb on top of it. Having to go through that much trouble just to get on top of three meter high gateway made him miss the Wind even more.

He still had no idea where to search from next, though. He figured he should find out how Jokul had made himself to forget in order to find a new lead, but he still wasn't sure if he dared to wander that far into Jokul's memories. Even the ghosts of emotions he had experienced this far had been close to overwhelming. But flying sure would be nice…

Then there was the thing that reminded Jack of _responsibilities_. Jack did his best to dismiss it, but when it concerned people important to him, he found it considerably harder to do. According to Pitch, Loki was out there looking for the source of this… thing… that seemed to be bothering the spirits all over. Jack wasn't sure if it was something serious, but if Loki had gone looking for it, shouldn't Jack help? Loki had done much for him, yet Jack had done so little in return other than complain.

What was it all about anyway? Insanity spreading among spirits… How was that even possible? Pitch told him it tugged on the old, buried emotions. Guilt, anger and all that. Jack's eyes widened in realization. Pitch had told him he had been affected too hadn't he? Jack had been scared of going through Jokul's memories, and still was, in fear of losing himself. To him it seemed logical, but for Loki and Pitch, it may have seemed like an irrational fear. Was that what Pitch meant? But if it was affecting Pitch too, what would it use as a fuel? Pitch carried lot of anger and bitter feelings with him, but where did they originate from? _Loneliness_, Jack realized. Sure, there were other things fueling the anger, but what Pitch had been trying to do while they were still inside the shrine… He had been trying to get Jack dependent of him and without his Wind, Jack really would be. Jack was also a Guardian, though. Taking him away would leave them more vulnerable.

However it was, Pitch seemed to have snapped out of it, judging from his hasty retreat. They would have to talk about it, Jack decided then. When Pitch came back, they would go look for Loki and help him find out whatever was causing this. The Wind could wait for a while longer. Jack would request one of Pitch's Nightmares to carry him. Or he could just go look for Bunny and get him open a bunch of tunnels. Having set his mind, Jack straightened on top of the gate and looked around, wondering what was taking the older spirit so long.

**-O-**

His eyes landed on a dark figure approaching from the pathway through the mountains. Grinning, Jack slid off the gate, momentarily forgetting the Wind wouldn't catch him. With a yelp, he managed to swing his staff and hook it around the top of the _torii _gate. He hung from the staff for a few moments, evening his breathing, before glancing down. Well, it wasn't _that _long of a fall… He probably wouldn't break anything, taking into account that he was a spirit. Closing his eyes, he jerked on his staff and a second later he was falling…

His feet slipped from under him on the slippery surface the hardened snow formed and Jack fell on his back with another yelp. When he opened his eyes again he was met with a pair of golden eyes staring at him amusedly. Jack had to blink a couple of times to realize that yes, he did indeed see that Pitch's eyes were golden and when he glanced down, his hoodie had a blue tint to it and his trousers brown. With a grin, Jack jumped to his feet. He had had a few times after receiving Jokul's memories when his vision had half returned like this, but they seemed to come and go at random so he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason of why it happened.

"Pitch! I know what we should do next", Jack exclaimed from his spot on the ground, shaking away the amazement that always came when he spotted colors. Pitch looked down on him, waiting, and Jack grinned. He offered his hand to Pitch, signaling for him to help him up. With a blank look, Pitch complied, moving his arm from behind his back…

Neither of them had been expecting what happened next. Time seemed to pass in slow motion for Jack, though the whole ordeal only took a few seconds.

As soon as Pitch began to reach for Jack's hand, a shout sounded from somewhere nearby.

"There! Twined between their hands!"

Turning his head slightly, Jack located the one who had shouted and barely had enough time to recognize the hawk headed figure with glowing silver eye as Horus, before something bright, brighter than anything he had ever seen with his own eyes, cut into his silvery vision. Someone dashed from beside Horus from behind the pile of sand and rock. Someone holding a blade that to Jack looked as if it was a sun forged into a flaming blade. For a moment Jack was blinded by its light, but then his vision did a full switch and instead of light, the blade was made of darkness and it cast its shadows all over the garden and clearing they were in. Pitch's hand had stopped only a little from Jack's, Jack had noted before the darkness robbed him of his eyes.

But Jack didn't need to see what happened. He heard the steps running closer, it only took five leaps, but it was an eternity for Jack. And even though it was an eternity, he just sat there, too surprised and confused to move.

And then it was already too late.

The blade of flames came down. Jack could feel its burning heat melting the snow and warming his cold skin. Something he hadn't noticed before, but at the same time, felt like it had always been there, wrapped around his wrist, shattered. Then he screamed.

**A/N**

Ahahahaha ha, ha... Don't kill me! I'm so sorry, but each story needs to have at least one cliffhanger, right? ...and you'll probably won't be ecstatic to hear that it may just take me another month to update the next chapter... (I even had to squeeze this between my studies) I have huge and very important exams coming up and I should start making those pre-tasks or whatever for the university I want to apply to.

Not to mention that I won't have a place to live in in about a month or so since we sold our house and I still haven't managed to find an apartment that I could afford... Gawd, I just keep messing things up =_= Uhm, in other words, I'm not doing so well and I'm very stressed and tired and depressed, but I'm _trying _and I know I'll get over it soon enough. Just... Understand that this fic is not currently one of my top priorities though it is important to me as well, okay? Okay. *exhale*

Soooo, I realized I forgot to include the explanation on Thanato's timeline and stuff in the last chapter ^_^' I'm so sorry. Here you go:

**Tengu **You might want to go back to scan though chapter titled _Home _in Silver Light from Blind Eyes. If you can't: An OC based on Eastern (or Japanese?) mythology. Spirit of home.**  
Thanatos **So, since he was born before Time, (because in my head Time=Father Time and before anything that could be count as a living being was born, there would have have been death, as in Thanatos) time has no meaning to him. Instead of living each day or even an hour chronologically like everyone else does, he could have been at year 3 and the next moment at year 2015 and then back in the time of dinosaurs. ...or something like that. So I made a little timeline that can either confuse you even more, or actually help you understand it a bit better. (some info was just for me when I planned this story, some will come up again later in the story)

**1.** The first time Thanatos meets Jack happened in the last chapter. Before that he's never met Jokul either, it's his first encounter with any winter spirit (read: young Thanatos). This could, in fact, be the reason he ever decided to get involved with Jokul in the first place.  
**2\. **Since meeting Jack, he wanted to make sure that the next time they met, he could answer his question and went to reap him (when he was still a human) and thus found out about his sister and went to reap her.  
**3\. **Thanatos reaps Jokul and finally learns of their (to be) friendship. He then goes back and forth in time in order to get to know Jokul and in between he meets Jack and finally tells him of his sister. (This could count as a spoiler, but oh well.)  
**4\. **The scene from Silver Light for Blind Eyes, where Jack first meets Thanatos. So Thanatos already knows he has fulfilled his promise as Jack did his.  
**5\. **Only then Thanatos reaped Khione (scene from SLfBE, Jokul's memory) after which he decides he's had enough though he still does consider Jokul as a friend and goes back again and meets Jokul for the last time (the scene where Jokul met Thanatos). So in a way it was Thanatos' way of saying goodbye.

...I wish I could just write the whole Thanatos' story (believe me I have all of it planned out because gawd I like him), but this will have to do. Confusing? Spot any timeline mistakes from my part? Ask away, though I'll probably answer by PM so the next A/Ns won't become this long. (And yes, I realize that including such confusing and complicated character and background might not have been my brightest ideas, but, well, too late now.)

**Reviews **(which are awesome btw)  
_MugetsuPipefox _Thank you~ Here, have another update. And glad you like the spirit's involvement. I decided it would be best to mostly stick with the ones I've already introduced so there won't (hopefully) be too many random OCs popping up and confusing people. ^_^' (trying to learn from my mistakes here :'D)

_jayleaf1 _I hope my explanation clarified it even if just a little bit? ^_^' And sorry to disappoint, I'm trying not to involve too many gods from same mythologies, so no Hestia, unfortunately. And the books were originally written for children I think? (but when has that ever stopped anyone from enjoying a book) But yes, there are books about North, Tooth and Pitch I think...? (haven't read them or properly researched them, sorry. :)

_chibissama _I hope my explanation made some sense? (I'm not perfect though, so there may be some mistakes, but that's how I had planned it at least.) Sorry for being confusing. ^_^'

Next: We'll see a bit of Loki~ Among other things.


	5. Falling Apart

**Chapter 5 **Falling Apart

The sound of something shattering filled Jack's ears. Loud and clear as day, but still not really there. He could feel fragments of _something _dropping against his arm, before bouncing on the ground and dissolving. Then all of a sudden the world fell silent.

One more piece, like glass, fell to the ground. Then, nothing.

The familiar pressure, the small buzzing sound that he had grown used to, the sound and feeling that always told him where Pitch was was gone. He knew that Pitch was standing there, right beside him, but the ever so small pull was gone. The bond the Moon had made… it was gone.

The sounds and his vision came back at the same time, crashing down on him and making him gasp for air. There were rushed steps, yelling, a feral growl that he realized came from Pitch and he saw Pitch crouching ever so slightly, his black sand swirling around him, moving together to form a larger weapon. Jack glanced to see who Pitch was looking at with such murderous intent and immediately recognized the other as one of the spirits that had come to greet him after Jack had freed them from ice.

Messy hair, scrawny figure and classes. Toth, was it? The spirit of intelligence. Though this time he didn't look as calm and meek as back then. Now his eyes had a serious, calculating expression, his lips pressed into this line. In his hands he was holding a long blade that seemed to be melting. Large drops fell off the blade and fell to the ground making a hissing sound.

Before Jack or Pitch could make a move, though, someone grabbed Jack's shoulder and violently pulled him from the ground and hurriedly dragged him towards the pathway lined by high stone walls. Pitch shouted after him, but Toth slashed at him with his melting sword and he was forced to stay still. Jack struggled, anger burning in his chest. Who would dare to attack them? Who would dare to break a bind the Moon had made? But when Jack turned to look at his assaulter, he saw familiar green aura.

"Loki?" Jack asked and a second later they were in the pathway and Loki snapped his fingers. Green light exploded from his hands and the stone walls rumbled before starting to crumble. Jack yelped and without really thinking about it, waved his staff around him, forming a thick wall of ice above and around them. He closed his eyes, but the wall of ice blocked all the rocks and dust raining on them. No memories assaulted his mind, either. When he opened his eyes again to inquire why Loki had dragged him there and forced him to leave Pitch behind, he was met with Loki's angry and confused eyes.

"What-?" Jack started but was immediately cut off.

"There's no time for that! You need to go! No! Listen: that was Toth. _Stay away from him and Dionysos_" Loki told him, his eyes dead serious and Jack swallowed thickly.

"Wh-"

"No time I told you! Go go- No, wait for Pitch. Get Pitch, find him, don't let him get lost!" Loki told him, his voice shifting from desperate to determined. His face fell blank. Jack frowned, what was going on? Loki seemed… odd. _Unstable_, a voice, sounding suspiciously like Pitch sounded in his head and Jack's eyes widened.

"I… Thought I could beat this, I thought I had changed… but of course, I haven't, won't. I'm not magic anymore... Or I am, I _have _to be, I don't want to…!" Loki continued frantically shutting his eyes and clutching his head. When he opened his eye again, they seemed clearer, if only a little bit.

"I'm sorry… It's… I've done too much. I shouldn't have… But this is not the time for that. Leave Pitch, if he won't come to you, _don't go looking for him_. Not in your state, alright? You have to figure something out, Jack, I can't… I thought I could, because I _was _magic, but I'm also chaos", his voice was even now, more like the Loki Jack had come to know, though still a bit off. This Loki was not messing around.

Jack was about to question him, make his explain what was going on, and why he was supposed to leave Pitch behind, because he would _never _leave Pitch behind, but then there was a loud sound from behind the rubble Loki had used to block off the pathway.

"Time is running out! You have to go! Alright? Go!" With that Loki reached for Jack's chest. Surprised, Jack made to back off, but he was too slow and the hand grabbed the flower twined over his chest. Bunny's flower. His eyes widened as he realized what Loki was doing and he made to stop him-

"Come and get him out of here!" Loki shouted and the flower crumbled to dust. Loki looked at him sadly with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry. Why… Why is it so hard to care…?", he said and his voice sounded so weak and lost that Jack found his own mouth snapped shut in surprise. Then the ground split open right behind him and a hand pushed hard on his chest. Jack stumbled backwards, his feet not reaching ground and he fell… Just to crash on something soft and warm.

Bunny grunted from beneath him.

"Close it!" Loki's voice sounded from outside along with a loud rumbling sound which Jack took as a sign that the rubble had been cleared off. Immediately, Jack could feel Bunny tense beneath him and the hole started closing.

"No! Pitch is still out there!" Jack yelled out and leaped for the closing hole. Before he could reach it though, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Startled, Jack struggled wildly.

"Pitch!" he yelled and prepared to bring forth his powers when a shadow passed though the small hole. A silent thump followed and he tunnel fell into darkness as the hole closed, but Jack relaxed. He'd seen enough. A relieved sigh escaped his lips and he slumped in Bunny's arms. With a sigh, Bunny released his arms from around him and stepped away.

"Would someone like to clue me in on what the bloody hell is happenin' here?"

**-O-**

Pitch gladly left the briefing for Jack. Actually, he left everything for Jack, it seemed, since Jack hadn't heard him ever since they entered the tunnel. Now that wouldn't have meant much for him even an hour earlier, since thanks to the bond, he could always sense where Pitch was, but now… Even though the bond had only been in place for a couple of years, the lack of it made Jack feel oddly lonely.

Still, he pushed the feeling aside in order to explain to Bunny why exactly Loki had burned through his flower _again _and why they had been in such a hurry to leave. And then he had to explain to furious Bunny that it hadn't exactly been their intention to have their bond get cut and thus let Pitch roam free, though Jack was fairly sure, for now, that Pitch wouldn't wander far from him. Loki' words, however conflicted, plagued his mind.

"So ya headed for North's, yeah? I mean, this had to be a Guardian thing, what with yer bond getting cut and Pitch getting free", Bunny stated. Jack frowned a bit. How Bunny could still feel such dread and hatred towards Pitch, Jack had no idea. Bunny hadn't spent over three hundred years with the guy either though… Jack sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I don't know… I'm not sure that would be the best thing to do with all that's going on…" Jack told him honestly and he could just feel Bunny bristling.

"Anyway", Jack hurried to say before Bunny would get the change to open his mouth, "I need a lift. With Pitch… Well, I don't think he's up to offering rides on his Nightmare's anymore and since I can't use the Wind…" A silence fell between them as Jack trailed off. Bunny' footsteps stopped and he turned around to face him. Oh, he hadn't told him about the Wind, had he? Whoops.

"What's wrong with yer wind?" Bunny asked and Jack groaned inwardly. He launched on to another explanation, though he cut off most of the encounter with Asbit and Mother Nature. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bunny, he did, Bunny was something like an older brother for him, which was exactly why Jack didn't want to worry him too much. He was fine now, wasn't he?

Finally Bunny began walking again once Jack had finished and soon after Jack felt the small summer breeze against his skin as they entered the seemingly endless fields of Bunny's Warren.

"I could open some tunnels for ya, but with Easter just behind the corner, I'm not sure how much time I have in my paws", Bunny told him and Jack smiled at him.

"I know, it's fine, I'll figure something out. If I just had a clue where to look for Aura…" Jack wondered aloud, suddenly feeling weary again. Bunny stopped again and gently, but firmly guided Jack to sit against a tree while crouching before him.

"Ya can think about it later. I know you can't sleep well here, but get some rest, I see if I can figure something out for ya", Bunny told him, patting his shoulder comfortingly. Jack frowned.

"You don't need to-" he started, but Bunny cut him off almost immediately.

"Just shut up, Snowflake and let yer elders take care of things for once", he snapped and Jack's frown deepened, before he suddenly grinned tiredly.

"Did you just admit that you're _old, _grandpa kangaroo?" Jack asked. He heard Bunny snort and aim a light hit at his head, which ended up as something like a gesture to ruffle his hair. Jack laughed as Bunny muttered something about disrespectful winter spirits before leaving Jack on his own.

Jack had never been one to deal too well with stress and a nap always sounded like a better idea than fawning over something you can do nothing about. Thus, he pulled up his hood, tilted his head so he would hear if someone approached and settled on a comfortable position. A few moments later he was dozing off, though he never quite fell asleep.

**-O-**

_First he thought he was having another flashback of Jokul's memories. He was flying above a familiar looking little town. The Wind was silent as it always was with Jokul. Still he could feel it's gentle caress against his skin and hair as he began his descent down to the streets. He lowered himself on a rooftop and looked down on the busy people running up and down the town square, some carrying briefcases others school bags. Suddenly Jack spotted a familiar figure of a child and grinned. Jamie was heading for school, his steps hurried as if he was late. Jack watched as the boy crossed the street and stumbled and fell on a rather nasty patch of ice._

_A bit alarmed, Jack made to scoop down. He could go greet the boy every now and then, right? It's not like he would form any deep attachment over a few visits… Right? And that was when the world spun out of control, because Jack realized that Jokul hadn't known Jamie. So this had to be him, but Jack couldn't see at day light. At the moment, he couldn't even fly._

_As if those thoughts were the trigger the Wind suddenly ceased its caresses and a second later the stream of air disappeared from beneath him. He was falling and at the same time the darkness washed over the town, leaving only darkness and sounds._

_His feet hit the ground and he collapsed on his knees due to the shock. For a moment he stayed on the ground, breathing heavily, trying to recover from the scare. Then he took a deep breath._

_He had done this numerous of times, he told himself. He was used to wandering around blind._

_Except he wasn't._

_Having a few times of actually being able to see made it all the worse. He heard the hurried steps around him, cars honking nearby and couldn't find a way out. The Wind wasn't there to guide him, lift him, take him away… save him. He poked around with his staff without much use, it simply passed through the people passing by. Someone brushed by him, making his elbow dissolve. Panic struck him and a heavy lump formed in his throat. Too close, too close. He had to get out!_

_He slid his staff in an arc to clear the way, again forgetting its uselessness, but he wasn't thinking anyway. He just had to get away. He stumbled as he made his way to where he thought the closest wall was, his breathing coming out in uneven gasps and his heart beating wildly. Walls were safe, no one behind his back, no one to run though him. But even the wall that was just about ten meters away seemed to be too far. His lungs were screaming for more air, and he tried breathing, but it was as if something was blocking his throat. Someone passed though him and the shock made him forget to breath. And another one stepped through him. His head felt light, thinking was hard._

_He felt like he was dissolving, being swept away like a cloud of snow. It didn't hurt, but it left an ache in his limbs and chest as his body reformed again and again. It was impossible to breathe and he stumbled forward. How far was it? Where was that sign he had spotted before losing his sight? Where was the next human who was to pass though him? His shoulder hit painfully against something and he fell. His lungs were screaming for air, but breathing was denied as another human passed though him. Sound of tires and engine running. Where? Was he about to be run over? He could smell smoke. Someone coughed beside him and he flinched. He was crawling now, hoping to hit the wall. Someone stepped on his back, their foot passing right though and any breath that had made its way to his lungs escaped. Where? Where was it? He couldn't feel his arms…_

Jack jumped as something touched his shoulder. He spun his head in order to see what it was, but when he realized the uselessness of that action, he brought up his hand to see if he could find something there. There was sand on his shoulder. Before he could question it, ask if Pitch was there, he heard heavy footsteps approaching and turned to face the sound.

The dream still ghosted in his mind, making him feel restless and his breathing came out raggedly. But the feeling of grass beneath his fingers eased his nerves just a bit.

"Ah, good, yer awake" the tension left his shoulders as he heard Bunny's voice and a sigh escaped his lips. Bunny seemed to take note of the change as well, since soon enough Jack felt a warm furry paw on his shoulder.

"Ya okay, Snowflake? Ya look a bit… off", Bunny asked and Jack smiled a small relieved smile.

"I'm fine now. So? Did you figure something out for me?" And the teasing grin was back on his lips, even though his hand betrayed him by clutching onto Bunny's paw. There was a slight pause as Bunny looked at the hand gripping his paw like a lifeline, though it went unnoticed by Jack.

"Yeah, something. Not my idea though. North suggested we ask the Groundhog for help and Tooth made his fairies run a couple of errands. The Groundhog agreed to take you around for a while since she doesn't have a lot to do other than sleep for a few more months and-" Bunny started, but Jack cut him off.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I was thinking… I only need one trip, so think you could give me a passage?" Jack asked and Bunny shifted slightly, frowning.

"Are ya sure? I mean, to me it sounds like you're pretty much stuck without your wind and with Pitch being his creeper self…" Bunny said and Jack snorted.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I know what I should do. You could say I had a real eye opener dream", Jack told him and felt Bunny shrug. Honestly, it was more like he knew what he _had _to do if he wanted to keep his sanity. Blindness? Something he was sure he would never grow used to, but knew how to live with. Losing the Wind? He could as well be a cripple. He had only made it so far because of the Wind. Because in the sky… You didn't have to worry about getting walked through and the darkness and shadows seemed so far away.

"Alright, where do ya wanna go?" Jack grinned, glad to be shaken from his thoughts and knowing exactly what Bunny's reaction would be.

"As far to the south pole as possible, please."

**A/N**

Ahahaha... I did promise to update in month, right? In which case I'm a day late... Sorry! Those who started following me back when I was in middle of Silver Light for Blind Eyes should already know that taking a month to update really isn't like me... ^_^' Unless I warn about it couple of chapters before hand that is. In which case it would probs be a good idea to tell you that I will try and get the next chapter out in a week, but I still haven't finished writing this story to the very end, so I'm trying to stall a bit. (And I still don't know where I'm going to live come April and I'm supposed to do all kinds of annoying and stressful stuff so... If I miss my deadlines, know that I'm very sorry and will fix it as soon as possible.

Anyway! I felt like there was a tad bit too much happening in this chapter, so I cut off a bit from the end and added it to the next chapter. Sorry? :D I hope you enjoyed anyway~

Regarding the story and Loki... Well, for now it's a bit messy and maybe a bit confusing? Don't worry, there will be some clarification as the story goes on~  
And as to why Jack wants to go to the south pole? You're just going to have to wait to find out.

_**Reviews  
**__MugetsuPipefox _Haha, I'm... sorry? :D (I won't deny the sadist part, but I'm blaming all my favorite authors for bad example :3) Thanks tho~

Next: More action and stuff about the staff. (Get it? Stuff and staff? ...haha, feelfreetoignoreme)


	6. Staff

**Chapter 6 **Staff

Knowing what he had to do didn't make it any easier to actually _do _it though. But, well, it didn't do a thing just dwelling on it either, so Jack forced it from his mind. One step at a time. He would have to make sure no one would be close by when he let it loose, which meant that the shadows he knew were following him only few steps behind, would have to stay behind. Boy, would Pitch be happy. When they reached the large clearing they had to pass through to reach Bunny's tunnels, Jack waited until they were well away from any possible places shadows could from in, in order to prevent Pitch from eavesdropping.

"You have to stop him from following me", Jack told Bunny hastily. Bunny's steps faltered for a few seconds.

"And why is that? I thought it was yer job to keep an eye on him", Bunny stated, a bit of anger in his voice, but Jack ignored it.

"I know, I'm sorry. Can you fill me in for a little while? I'll come and get him once I'm done", Jack promised and he heard Bunny sigh.

"He's going to skin me", he muttered. Jack couldn't help but grin.

"Are you scared? In that case I'm sure-" but he was cut off by Bunny playfully hitting the back of his head. Jack snickered.

"Scared? Of that creeper? No way. Just don't like to play a babysitter for gloomy overgrown children", Bunny told him.

"Sure sure", Jack said offhandedly. Then they were in the tunnel leading south and shadows surrounded them once again.

Only few minutes later Bunny stopped and tapped the ground twice with his foot.

"Ya sure this is where you wanna go? And you're not gonna tell me what you're up to, are ya?" Bunny asked and Jack nodded, smiling.

"I'll be back before you know it", he just said and Bunny sighed as the tunnel opened up beside them.

"Ready?" Bunny asked and it took a second too long for Jack to realize what he meant. Because a second later he was falling and sliding down on a slippery surface. A yell ripped its way from his throat as he felt the tunnel close behind him. The uneven ride lasted only couple more minutes until he flew out and landed on a snowy ground. The tunnel closed immediately after. With a groan he pushed himself on his feet, wondering how exactly did the physics of Bunny's tunnels work. He was sure he had been sliding downwards but suddenly he popped upwards to the ground level. He figured he could ask Bunny about it, but wouldn't understand half of the answer, so he shrugged it off and marched forward in the snow.

Once he felt like he had walked far enough from where the tunnel had left him, he stopped. The wind was blowing harshly and to anyone else the cold would have been unbearable, but Jack felt comfortable, surrounded by snow and ice. No humans nor wildlife nearby. No excuses.

The dream had left Jack anxious, scared. He was able to function as he did only because the Wind was always there to guide him. For his first fifty years before he had befriended Pitch, after he had though Pitch had betrayed him… The Wind had always been there. A companion, guide. It had barely been 24 hours since he lost it and he was already at loss. He didn't like feeling helpless.

Besides, he had to help Loki and Pitch, but without the Wind… He would be a burden. He needed the Wind.

But to find Aura… he had no clues to follow, other than Aurora, but he already knew she didn't know much. The only one who knew anything was Jokul, but even he had forgotten.

How? Why? Jack was sure his memories held some form of answers, maybe he could even unlock the memories Jokul couldn't. That was why he was here. Jack was never able to control which memories he triggered, so the answer? He would have to trigger them all and so far, the memories had been tied to his powers. So if he let them all loose, like he never had before, he should have access to all of the memories, right? That's what he hoped.

But still… Even the short flashbacks were disorienting, so if he took them all in at once… Would he be able to come back? Jack shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his head. He couldn't start doubting now, this was the only way. He had been terrified of dwelling in Jokul's memories and he still was, but now he thought he could feel the irrational fear creeping in his mind as if it was a separate part of his mind. As if it didn't originate from him. Irrational fear, phobias… They counted as a form of insanity, right?

Back at the shrine… He had recognized the spirit swinging the blinding blade. Toth. And he had been close friends with Dionysos. _"Insanity has never sat well with me…" _Jack remembered how uneasy Pitch had looked when the duo had greeted them back when he freed the spirits from ice. But why would they want to do this? Toth had been frozen too, so was this their form of revenge? But Pitch had told spirits all over the world were under their effect…

However it was, Jack wanted to help. And to help, he needed the Wind. And with this maybe… He might even… He shook his head. It wouldn't do well to get his hopes up for nothing. With a deep breath he brought his staff in front of him and buried its lower half in snow. He had let his powers loose only a few times in his whole life as the Winter spirit, at not once since he acquired Jokul's memories and experience. And supposedly the full power of Winter.

Another deep breath and he could feel the magic prickling inside him, swirling restlessly. Slowly he reached into the well of power inside him and immediately, the power shot up his arms to his staff where it stopped, waiting, freezing the surface. With a yell Jack lifted the staff above his head before hitting it on the ground again. It was as if a huge shockwave passed through the fields of snow.

The world fell silent. Even the ever blowing wind ceased. Thick cover of ice raced across the snow from where his staff hit the ground.

Then as if someone flicked the switch again, the wind was back thrice as fierce as before, clouds gathered together shooting snow which the wind picked up. The water that had been hitting against the floating mountains of ice ceased with loud cracking sounds as it froze, forming dangerous looking spikes. It was chaos, the biggest storm the South Pole, the world, had seen in a long, long time. Unknown to Jack, unnaturally cold winds reached even the south part of South-America, Australia and even a bit of Africa.

And Jack?

Jack was standing in the middle of it all, hair and clothes whipping around him, his sparkling blue eyes staring emptily to the distance, before the eyelids fell shut and he collapsed. The staff stood in the eye of the storm only to be covered in snow like its fallen owner.

-O-

Pitch was seething. Only a fragment of second more and he would have been able to safely pass through, but instead, he had had to force his Nightmare to dissolve or it would have lost its head. But that wasn't even the worst part, no, the worst part was that _Jack had gone through. _He had no doubt that the young winter spirit had planned this, because honestly, even if he weren't able to sense fear, the way Bunnymund was shifting his weight as if preparing to defend himself spoke in volumes. No, Bunnymund would have been glad to get rid of him, but he also had a soft spot for Jack. The question was _why, _exactly, had Jack felt necessary to leave Pitch behind?

"Let me through", Pitch stated as calmly and threateningly as he could. The rabbit's ears twisted and eyes narrowed.

"No can do, buddy", he responded and Pitch forced down the growl rising in his throat.

"Of course, because Jack told you not to, did he not? And you _Guardians _value loyalty over all else. But tell me, how much does loyalty weight when you end up getting your _friend _dead?" Pitch asked, still fighting for his usual arrogant tone, but it was _hard_. He wanted nothing else than to drown the rabbit in fear and terror, let his nightmares on loose in the Warren and watch as Bunnymund slowly broke down and eventually… Pitch tensed, forcing the thought from his head. Yes, it would be satisfying, he agreed with the darkness creeping in on his mind, but it wasn't what Jack wanted.

And since when had he cared about what Jack wanted? The traitorous voice asked him. The voice that had only seemed to have grown stronger after that idiotic Egyptian had cut their bond. He had been relieved at first, because if there was something he hated it was being tied down like a dog.

But then he had lost sight of Jack. He had been furious, thinking the Egyptians had done something to him and all he had wanted to do for few seconds was to rip them apart limb from limb. Then he had caught a sight of Loki's magic and the falling rocks. He had fought off Toth and rushed to take apart the wall separating him from Jack, and his mind had been screaming at him to get rid of Loki for trying to take away his Jack, but the voice had quieted down when he saw the familiar white hair. Jack liked Loki and Pitch had nothing against him either. Rather, Pitch admitted he could enjoy his company.

So he had simply shot past Loki and barely made it in the tunnel with Jack. But Jack wasn't there alone, of course he wasn't. No, that nosy rabbit was there too and Pitch didn't trust himself enough to materialize from the shadows. The fury and bitterness were still boiling just beneath the surface and the voice was there, whispering, telling him to take Jack away. Pitch would keep them safe. But seeing Jack's bright eyes and faint smiles reminded him why he hadn't done that already.

He had been able to ignore the voice and think a bit more clearly. Clear enough to deduce that it wouldn't be safe for him to leave Jack either. The bind had connected them before, somehow always reminding Pitch of Jack so the magic influencing his mind, which seemed to call out to his darkest shadows, had been kept at bay. But now, if he so much as lost sight of Jack, they would be back, endless and greedy.

Jack kept him sane, kept him from dwelling in the shadows and loneliness he had gone through for so long. But if Jack wouldn't keep looking around so carelessly, grinning like a fool, always ready for some mischief… Pitch didn't want to think about what would follow. It was intriguing, of course, what Jack would be like, twisted and malicious, but that was just the shadows talking. Pitch wanted Jack to keep smiling recklessly, always sparing a second to search him for a reaction.

That was why, Pitch concluded, he could not harm Bunnymund. But he still wanted to, enough to bring out his scythe and baring his teeth, feral.

"He won't die", Bunny told him with such confidence that Pitch's arrogant façade fell for a second. The snort came out a second too late, unconvincing. Pitch let the scythe dissolve and backed into the shadows.

"And if he does? If something happens to him, are you ready to carry the responsibility?" Pitch asked and he could swear that manipulating the rabbit had never been this hard before. Bunny twitched a bit and Pitch knew he had gotten though. With a smirk he let himself melt into the shadows and only his voice echoed in the tunnel.

"What will you tell the Guardians then? You had him go out there, blind, vulnerable, not even able to use the wind to flee. Will you explain to them how it was all Jack's idea, how you hadn't even tried to stop him or convince him to take anyone with him? Or worse, separate him from his longest companion, one who could protect him?" Pitch knew he had slipped, again, even before he finished the sentence. He had momentarily let himself forget Bunnymund's unyielding hatred towards him. How unlike him.

"Protect him? You? Ya would be the first one to stab him in the back, ya bloody murderer", Bunnymund growled out. There was only so much Pitch could take in his strained state. He lunged forward with a feral snarl, gripping his scythe and swinging it towards those annoying green eyes… Bunnymund dodged, of course he did, and bounced from the tunnel wall to land behind him. Pitch whirled around, but his scythe wasn't meant for small spaces and got caught on the wall. With a muttered curse he made it dissolve just enough to pass through… And suddenly he was blinded by a flash of light and green color exploding everywhere. His shadows retreaded immediately and he had to force himself to stay put. He couldn't back down now. When his eyes stopped stinging he glared at the rabbit again.

"That the best you can do?" he taunted and took a step forward. Bunnymund reached to his waist where he usually had his boomerangs, but this time, he didn't have them with him. He had been planning on spending the day in his Warren, how could he have known Loki would make an emergency call after which he'd be running around without having the time to get them? Thus, he only reached air when attempting to grab them. Pitch watched him repeat the move, before his eyes widened in realization. Pitch grinned.

"Crap", Bunnymund stated before Pitch's scythe came down on him and he leaped backwards. Without a second thought the rabbit seemed to give into his instincts and took off down the tunnel towards the Warren. Pitch melted into the shadows again, before taking after the fleeing figure.

Only a minute later Pitch was hit with the full glare of the forever shining sun and he growled. Bunny stood in the middle of the clearing, where Pitch's shadows couldn't reach him.

"Let's take a minute and think about this, yeah? I mean, I would love nothing less than ta kick yer ass, but-" Bunnymund started, but Pitch didn't want to be reasoned with, by a Guardian none the less. The shadows were telling him to hunt down the rabbit and he was inclined to agree with them. So he did the first thing that came to his mind and threw his scythe while having it reform to a heavy spear. The sand evaporated a bit in direct light, it was made of darkness and fear after all, but the blade still reached long enough to force Bunnymund to crouch to avoid getting his head cut off.

Pitch was looking upwards while the rabbit gathered himself from the ground, muttering curses under his breath. If he could just spot where the sunlight came in from…

"Oi, ya little-" but Pitch never had enough time to figure out a plan, nor did Bunny have enough time to finish his threat. A popping sound echoed from somewhere between them and both of their eyes fell on the ground. The ground was crumbling from a small area little in front of Bunnymund and as they watched, it formed a small pile and a small brown creature popped its head from it.

…A mole?

Wait, no, that was no mole, it was a…

"Groundhog", Bunny stated with barely hidden horror. The Groundhog, which had apparently invaded through some tunnel running beneath the Warren, breaking the magic shielding the place and thus, probably, causing the popping sound. The Groundhog slowly turned around to face Bunnymund and Pitch could swear he saw it smile as it pulled itself from the hole.

"You should leave some holes open for me, you know. I feel like a mole, having to dig though like this", the Groundhog stated and to his surprise, Pitch realized it was a female. Then a shudder run through her small figure and instead of a small rodent, a small, round woman stood at its place. Well, Pitch said woman, but used the term loosely. She was as much of a woman as Bunny was a man. They shared some similarities to that of human build, but were covered in fur and still, mostly had the face of the animal they were born as.

"Shape shifting… Whoever came up with this stupid branch of magic…"the Groundhog muttered, brushing herself off.

"So? Where's the boy? Jack… Frost, wasn't it?" she asked and Bunnymund woke from his frozen state. He groaned.

"I forgot", he muttered to himself. The Groundhog lifted an eyebrow. Or, well, she tried.

"He left already, told me he didn't need anyone to take him around after all", Bunny told her, slumping slightly.

"Oh my, oh my. And you forgot to let me know? After all the hurrying I did to get here…" she ranted off and Bunny brought a paw to his face, looking tired all of a sudden.

"Well, it seemed like a storm was coming anyway, I mean, did you see those clouds forming over South Pole? Not a weather I'd like to be caught in. Still, I did come all this way, at least you could make up for it, somehow…" the Groundhog started and Pitch felt like this was about the high time he stopped eavesdropping. How she could even make herself sound suggestive with those teeth, Pitch didn't even want to know. It seemed Bunnymund didn't either. He backed off, lifting his paws defensively, but before he managed to respond, his ears twitched as if he had just realized something.

"Wait, a storm over the South Pole?" he questioned and Pitch perked too. How could he have missed that? Wasn't that where Jack had wanted to go to for some reason? The Groundhog seemed surprised at his interest on the subject and nodded dumbly. Bunny's wide eyes searched the shadows until they found Pitch.

"That's where Jack went to", he stated, uselessly, but for some reason Pitch found himself appreciating the effort.

-O-

It barely took them five minutes to find out that the Groundhog had told the truth, a storm was raging in South Pole, making it impossible for them to step a foot outside the tunnel. That is how, three hours later, Bunny found himself sitting with his enemy on the shore located as south as possible, watching the dark clouds swirling in the horizon. Cold sea wind brushed past them, making him shiver. For a moment he thought he heard whispered warnings and pleas of help, but when he tried to listen after the wind had passed, he could only hear the waves hitting against the shore. Pitch shifted restlessly beside him. The sun was beginning to set. And finally, as Bunny gazed into the distance, the clouds seemed to be getting smaller and lighter. His shoulders slumped as the tension left them and a heavy breath escaped from his lungs. It wouldn't be that long anymore.

-O-

Four hours later all that was left was cold, cold wind and steady snowfall that made it impossible to see more than about one hundred meters ahead. Still, Bunny was feeling anxious and decided he'd had enough of waiting, not to mention that Pitch had started glaring at him as if trying to figure out how good of a pair of mittens his fur would make…

So he opened a new tunnel leading straight to the spot he had left Jack in, expect, he noticed, he had to dig through a lot more ice and snow than the last time. He didn't think anything of it, until he and Pitch were running around, not wandering too far from the tunnel, looking for Jack. Neither of them spotted him and Bunny was beginning to feel worried. What if Pitch had been right? He had been stupid to let Jack go alone… Then his foot got stuck on something and he fell on the snow. He heard Pitch snort from somewhere nearby and pushed himself up, muttering curses.

As he was brushing snow off his fur he glanced down to see what he had stumbled on and to his surprise spotted something brown. Like a tree root. Except, there were no trees this far in South Pole. With wide eyes he crouched down and dug into the snow, just a little. The other end of the supposed root seemed to go deep into the snow, but the other end ended pretty soon after the curve. Like a certain staff he knew. With a start he started digging more furiously. He didn't even notice when Pitch wandered over and after one glance started digging too.

-O-

It took them a long while, but after an hour and lot of Nightmare stomping, Bunny finally spotted something blue. Furiously, he dug his paws under the hooded figure, just to find out that he couldn't. With a closer look, he realized that Jack was surrounded by some clear material, like glass. Or really clear ice. Had he frozen himself? Why? To protect himself?

However it was, it made digging him out a lot harder, but after an half an hour, they had the even block of ice cleared from snow and Bunny could open up a tunnel where they dropped him. The ice didn't as much as crack.

Immediately Bunny started dragging the block of ice towards where the tunnel leading closest to North's workshop was. If Pitch didn't agree with his choice of destination, he didn't voice it. Instead he called forth two of his Nightmares and reined then to pull the block of ice. Jack had his eyes closed inside the ice, peaceful look on his face, as if he was sleeping. The hoodie had frozen oddly, as if it was still being ripped at by the wind, the same with Jack's hair. Bunny kept throwing worried glances at him, as if worried he would suddenly open his eyes.

He never did.

They arrived at the workshop and immediately North had two of his yetis carry Jack to a bathroom where they lowered him to a bath filled with lukewarm water. Then, they had nothing to do other than wait.

So they waited.

-O-

Jack wasn't sure if he really was awake the first time he came to. His hair felt wet for whatever reason and he was warm. A bit uncomfortably so. Instinctively he reached for his powers to lower his temperature. It was a bit harder than usually which made him realize he was missing his staff. The smooth texture always had a calming effect… _Smooth?_

No, his staff was all gnarly, only smoothened from the spot he usually gripped it. But the staff that flashed in his mind was white and at the top it split into root-like branches and formed a dome. Inside it Jack knew was an ice-like crystal. Yeah, that was definitely his staff, wasn't it? His mind was disoriented and sluggish and only cleared up a bit when he felt a pair of slender arms lifting him. Soon enough he was lowered again, this time to a soft surface. A bed? By then his mind had had enough though and he drifted off again.

The next time he came to, he expected to be surrounded by walls of ice so when his hand gently brushed against a wooden surface, he was startled. He was probably at North's workshop, Jack's mind filled him in, taking in the slightly dusty but sweet scented air

North's workshop? The other part of his mind asked and images of large man with grayish white beard flashed in his mind. But that North looked odd to Jack, younger and more threatening. North had never looked at him like that. …had he?  
Why did he even think otherwise, that was Nicholas St. North, wasn't he? They didn't get along too well.  
But that was stupid, Jack was a Guardian, of course they came along.

Suddenly all the confusing thoughts retreated and Jack's thoughts cleared up. Of course, those were Jokul's memories, not his. He was Jack Frost, a Guardian. Along with the confidence, the unfamiliar memories faded, leaving Jack free to take in his situation.

He was obviously lying on a bed, though he wasn't sure how he had ended up there. The last thing he remembered was striking his staff on the ground and then the rush of sensations and feelings. He had been trapped and he had done what he could to protect himself and when he had felt like he was suffocating he had made walls around him. After that his thoughts were a chaos and to protect his identity, he forced his thoughts to his surroundings again.

Someone was slumped against his bed. He could hear them turning pages every now and then and the mattress shook a bit when they shifted. Jack attempted to open his eyes to find put who it was, but found his eyelids weighting a ton. Instead he tried bringing his hand up, but failed again. Exhaustion was creeping in again and without a second thought, he succumbed.

The third time he came to awareness, he didn't have to battle away Jokul's memories, but he did remember something else.

The Wind.

That was why he had done all this for hadn't he? He was supposed to try and find out whatever Jokul did know about her and why he had forgotten. This time willingly, Jack let the name, Aura, trigger Jokul's memories along with his own and images of a woman with flowing platinum hair that seemed almost transparent came to his mind.

"_Do you know how many spirits come to me, asking me I grant them the ability to fly?"_ _Jokul had bowed down before the tree she was occupying. Her hair almost touched the ground even from where she was sitting on a branch, leaning on her hand. She was smiling, an innocent joyful smile. Her white simple dress ended just above her knees, rippling and fading into the air before becoming visible again._

"_A few, I would imagine", Jokul told her and her light, almost colorless gray eyes sparkled._

"_A few", she agreed, "and I have yet to grant their wishes. I am afraid they are becoming a bit restless." Jokul tilted his head curiously._

"_Tell me, why should I give you what I have not given to others?" she asked. Jokul had thought she would, so he had an answer at ready._

"_It would make my job easier. I am a spirit of winter, I spread snow and ice. It would be easier and more practical to do it from the air. I would like to be able to see what I do", he told him and he thought it was reasonable, but Aura just sighed._

"_Yes, it sure would, wouldn't it? Many messenger spirits have better arguments than you though. I'm not looking for qualifications, give me a reason to which I can relate to", she told him. Jokul frowned, thinking. What could he say that would convince her? Jokul didn't know much about her, but most spirits always thought practically, he had thought she was the same. But what was it that the passing spirits had told him? "She is a free spirit, always doing what she wants and never asking for permission nor apologizing after." Jokul thought for a short moment before lifting his head again._

"_I want to be free, to be released from the chains the ground has on me", he told her, but it seemed it was the wrong thing to say as her face twisted into anger and a harsh wind blew through the clearing._

"_Do not try to curry my favor. Do not try to assume what I would like to hear. I will give you one last chance and do not dare to lie to me again", she told him and suddenly her previously so sweet voice was screaming like the wind did at stormy nights._

_A little shaken, Jokul spoke out the words that first came to his mind. And the wind stole the words from his lips as soon as he spoke them._

"_My powers are cold and cruel and many withdraw from my touch and those who can stand it are either as cruel as winter or burn the ground they walk on. You, however, I cannot freeze and if I lose my way, you can guide my ice to the right way. Maybe from above, where I would be able to see the whole winter in its full glory, I would come to understand it and myself better", he told her and immediately, the wind ceased and Aura smiled._

"_Thank you" she told him and before he could ask, she said: "For I have been longing for a friend myself." And Jokul smiled, relief flooding him, but the memories were fading and instead of the snow covered clearing Jokul stood by a mountain talking with a hummingbird like woman, who was holding a golden container in her hands._

"_I will heed your request and hide these away unless she will come ask for them herself and no one else", she told him and Jokul blinked, confused. He felt like he was forgetting something important, but still he nodded at the strange spirit. She smiled sadly at him as if knowing something he didn't._

"_I still wonder if this was necessary. You know water from river Lethe would have done better job, don't you?" she asked him and he looked at her curiously. He had been trying to forget something? Then he finally connected the dots and realized that she was the fairly new spirit, Toothiana, spirit of memories. Jokul shook his head, finally feeling like they were on the same page._

"_If this was something I needed done, I have no regrets. Thank you", he told her and she nodded a bit sadly, before taking off, back to her job of collecting teeth. Jokul took off as well, calling for the wind to his side._

Jack's eyes snapped open and he rolled off the bed in his haste. A loud curse sounded from beneath him and he groaned. He had fallen on someone.

"What do you think you are doing, Frost?" Pitch growled at him and Jack pushed himself off the ground. He looked around to find his staff leaning on the wall by the door. Immediately he rushed to grab it and only then turned to look at Pitch.

"I need to find Tooth" he told him simply before dashing out of the door. Pitch followed him, grumbling, before backing into the shadows.

Jack run though the bustling hallways, dodging all the colorful objects aiming for his head and the furry yeti's hurrying by. Then he stopped. And looked around. The shapes and colors were screaming for his attention. Wide eyed, he turned in a circle before laughing out loud. He could see! He could finally see! Which meant he had been right all along! But… right about what? Jack frowned for a bit. What was so special about being able to see? And suddenly he wasn't so sure anymore, he felt like he should be glad about it, not take it for granted, but why not? More like, he should be questioning what he was doing there, in North's workshop. But North was his friend wasn't he? Even though he had only seen him once or twice… It didn't sound too likely. Maybe North was asking for a favor? But what could he possibly want from him? How did he even get here? Why-

"Jack", Pitch voice shook him from his thoughts and in a rush, it all came back to him.

"Jack, right", he muttered to himself gaining an odd look from Pitch. He ignored it in favor of repeating it in his head though. He was Jack Frost, a Guardian, the spirit of winter… Yes, that was right, he had been for a long time, but when had he changed his staff? And where was Aurora? The Wind didn't answer his call like it used to either…

"You wanted to go see Tooth, didn't you?" Pitch asked him and there was an unreadable look in his eyes. Jack looked at him, first confused as to why he was there, then in relief. Alright, so he would have to be careful of thinking of anything he had in common with Jokul and he would be fine. This would be fun.

"Yeah, yeah I do. Let's go!" Jack told him and took off again, this time not allowing his thoughts to wander aside from finding North.

**A/N**

Gawd I'm exhausted... I can't remember when I last updated and don't feel like checking it out. Anyway, just to warn you, I might take a slight break after I update chapter 10 here in couple/few weeks. I am not happy with how my writing is turning out and I'm thinking of revising some of the plot in hopes of improving it. And my motivation for finishing the writing for this story is close to zero, probably due to not having inspiration from reading fics or having been so long since I saw the movie... Sorry, I'll try and fix that.

Up until then I'll try and update weekly.

Soooo, Jack's a bit lost with Jokul's memories. Questions? Will probably be answered in the next few chapters, but feel free to ask. Reviews are always nice. More than nice actually. (So thank you so much for those who've done that!)

Next: More about the Wind~


	7. Of the Wind

**Chapter 7 **_Of the Wind_

They found North in the Globe room, where Jack was immediately pulled into a crushing bear hug.

"Jack! Good to see you up and running again!" North boomed and with a final squeeze he lowered Jack to the ground. Jack rubbed his sore arms before smiling up at the large man.

"Yeah, nice to see you too", Jack told him and for a second North looked at him, surprised before his face broke to a smile again. It took a few more moments for Jack to realize it was because he had looked straight into North's eyes. He took a glance around, taking note of the lack of Moonflowers and the sunlight streaming from the windows.

North didn't comment on it though, instead he landed his hand on Jack's shoulder and gently guided him to the kitchen, where, to his surprise, they found Sandy snoozing on one of his golden clouds while still holding a tea cup in his small hands.

"Sandy, wake up", when nothing happened after North's first attempt, Jack sneaked out of his grasp and took a seat opposite to Sandy. A yeti brought him a steaming cup of cocoa and a tray of cookies was placed on the table.

"Sandy! Wake up!" North yelled, making Jack almost spill his cocoa.

"Geez, a little warning before doing something like that?" Jack grumbled and thought he heard someone scoff in the shadows. North shrugged, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Sandy slowly blinked and yawned. He then took his time looking around, before his eyes landed on Jack. Immediately his lips formed a wide smile and he stood up on his cloud, before willing it over to Jack to give him a hug, notably more gentle than North's had been. A several images then flashed above his head and Jack did his best to follow them.

"I'm fine, thanks. Sorry for making you worry, I was just-" Jack started, but he was cut off by something green buzzing past his head. Startled, he leaned back in his chair only to have it fall backwards. He barely had the time to let out a short yelp, before the chair hit the floor.

"Ow…" he muttered. A buzzing sound approached his face, so he deemed it best to open his eyes, just to catch sight of something small coming up to hug his forehead.

"Baby Tooth?" Jack asked when the little fairy backed off. It tweeted happily in response and Jack grinned.

"Miss me?" he and the little fairy excitedly buzzed around his head in response. Jack laughed and offered a hand for the fairy to settle on. He then tried willing the Wind to lift him from the floor, but when nothing happened, he sighed. With a groan he pushed himself up, wondering how anyone could do anything without having the Wind there to help them.

He had only just gotten on his feet when he was once again tackled down, this time by something slightly bigger than the tiny fairy, who took off from his hand in alarm.

"Jack! You're okay! We were so worried!" a familiar voice sounded right by his ear and he smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine, geez. What's with you guys and trying to squeeze me to death?" he asked jokingly and Tooth backed off, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I was just, excited, you know. I haven't seen you in ages and then Bunny pops up and tells me you've frozen yourself again and that you're still unconscious… With everything that has been going on I just-" Tooth told him quickly, until Jack lifted his hand in order to slow her down.

"Woah, wait a second. Bunny told you I froze myself? And what do you mean _again_?" Jack asked, but she just looked back at him, sheepishly. When Jack looked at North and Sandy for answers, they suddenly started an intense conversation about candy cones and… carrots?

"Sorry, it just came up when we asked Bunny what you have been up to. He told me Pitch and Loki had dragged you to see Undine and when we asked why he told us that he heard from Loki that she had done something terrible to make you freeze yourself and then Bunny told us what he had seen Loki and Pitch do to Undine and by the way I still don't understand how they got her to-"

"Woah! Okay! I get it! Loki has a big mouth and Bunny likes to gossip, alright. Then, what do you mean with 'everything that has been going on'?" Jack asked, not really caring to remember what had occurred back in Britain. Sure he couldn't deny that he was slightly pleased that Pitch and Loki would go so far for his sake, but at the same time that very aspect worried him. He shuddered a bit at the memory. Tooth blinked, then looked around, suddenly unsure.

"You know, all the mess most spirits seem to be in and the trouble they cause? I heard from my fairies that the Leprechaun has locked himself in a room filled with clovers and rabbit foots and that he won't come out unless someone has checked that there are no mirrors, black cats or ladders around. And Cupid's been even more out of it than usual, just the other day he was all about sweet love and school girl crushes, but today my fairies have told me he's been flying all over muttering about love triangles and tragedies. I don't even want to imagine what the Valentine's day is going to be like and it's only few day until that!" Tooth told him, leaving Jack stare at her blankly. He watched her brushing her feathers, checking her nails, playing with a couple of teeth her fairies just brought her. All the while fluttering just above the ground, and re-locating herself in every few seconds.

"So I've heard. Say, you don't feel any different? Like a bit more filled with energy than usual?" Jack asked worriedly and she stilled for a fraction of second.

"Oh, I _know_! I just… It's like I only realized just how much I have to do and how much there is going on and it's hard to stay still, while knowing I could be sorting out the last generations teeth not to mention collecting that tooth from that little girl's house who refuses to let go of it and and- Ah! There is just too much to do!" she stated desperately and lowered herself on the floor.

Sandy floated over on his cloud and patted her on the shoulder while North came up to Jack, grinning.

"But that is nothing you should be worried about right now. We heard you've been looking for Aura, how is that going?" he asked cheerily. Jack looked at him oddly before shrugging it off and sighing.

"I think I finally got a clue, which reminds me… I actually have something to ask of you, Tooth" he said and Tooth lifted her head to look at him curiously. Then her eyes brightened as if she remembered something important.

"Oh! I know! You want the memories Jokul gave me years ago! I had forgotten all about them until Aura asked me about them!" she said, excited. Jack's eyes widened.

"What? You mean she spoke to you? Wait, no, that means, you'll give them to me?" he asked and Tooth nodded.

"Of course, Jack. Jokul came to me long ago, asking me to take care of some of his memories. He didn't tell me what they were and I didn't pry. He said he'd owe me a favor, though I forgot all about it a few years later… I wasn't supposed to give the memories to anyone but Aura, but since she asked me to give them to you…" she waved with her hand a small fairy buzzed over to her, carrying a small container, similar to those Jack had seen her store the children's memories in, but smaller and made of silver.

"How… I didn't even know you could do something like that", Jack told her as he took the container from the small fairy. Tooth shrugged.

"I can, but I don't like doing it, nor have I done it ever since. It's different with children, their happy memories don't just vanish even if I do store them, and they are not aware of the magic that records the memories on their teeth before they fall off. But when someone wills their memories, or have me record them, on their teeth… It's not natural. Total control over someone's, even your own, memories is always costly… Children's teeth are like good luck charms, storing away happiness, I simply collect them to remind them of that happiness later on. That's how it's meant to be, I am not supposed to force memories, good or bad, to leave their host. I wasn't even sure if it would last, but it would seem it did", Tooth told him and Jack nodded, just in time realizing that it wouldn't be very nice to thank her for it.

There was an slightly awkward silence for a few moments before North clapped his hands together.

"Well! Now that we are all here, except Bunny who is busy preparing for Easter, why do we not have a nice dinner together?"

**-O-**

It was already late when Jack retreated to the room North had granted for him fingering the silver container in his pocket. He heard Pitch following him in before they both settled to sit on the bed. Jack leaning on the wall comfortably, while Pitch decided to sit rather stiffly by the edge.

"Are you going to open it or not?" Pitch snapped then, after fifteen minutes of Jack twirling the container in his hands. With a sigh, Jack lifted the container closer to his face and slid his fingers across it. For a few seconds nothing happened. Then the container slid open and something akin to mist streamed out, forming fuzzy images in the air and they grew bigger and clearer until Jack was watching a familiar scenery with Aura sitting on a tree branch and him sitting on the ground.

"_I have a request to you, before I will fulfill your wish", she said and Jokul tilted his head curiously._

"_Of course", he promised and she smiled that sweet and innocent smile of hers._

"_As I told you, many spirits are restless because they yearn for the power I could give them. I am afraid that with my refusal, I have gained a few enemies. I am not powerful enough to grant the power of flight to everyone, nor do I wish to do so. Neither am I powerful enough to fend them off", she explained and slid off the branch, landing softly as a leaf on the ground. "You will have to do that for me. Keep me safe and I will be your wings, your guide and your friend."_

_Immediately Jokul bowed._

"_Of course. That is the least I can do, if you are willing to stick to my side", he told her._

"_Oh, I will. But I am afraid you will not know of it should you agree to my request. As you should know, I have many sisters, aurae, the humans call them. They are not fully conscious of themselves, or at least, most of them aren't and the only voice they have is echo. They can be captured and destroyed and they will be born again, I however, am not like them. Should I be captured or would I fade away, no wind will ever blow on this earth again. So I will be hidden, so that no one knows where I am", Jokul tilted his head curiously._

"_How would you have me protect you then, should I not be aware of your location?" he asked. Aura crouched and lifted a clear stone from the ground and it took Jokul a moment to recognize it as sunstone, the kind Vikings used to navigate. How or why she had gotten her hands on one of those he had no clue._

"_I have asked Loki to enforce this stone with magic so it will be strong enough to seal away a spirit, though not sealing away their powers. I will seal away myself and give you this stone. You will keep it always with you and keep it, me, safe. The closer I am the easier it is for me so speak to you, otherwise, I will trust my sisters to carry my words. But" she ceased for a moment, a soft breeze passing by them, "you will have to hide away your memories of my location, for when I am sealed, I will have no power over the happenings of this stone." Jokul stared at her, confused and worried._

"_You would lock yourself away for my sake?" he asked, guilt pressing heavily in his chest. Aura shook her head softly._

"_Not for your sake, no. I am even older than you and I wish to have a nap without having to keep watch that no one will try and catch me. I wish to keep my ever growing sisters safe, so they will have the chance to live and speak for themselves as I am allowed to do. This is the solution I have come to, please respect it", she said and her innocent eyes looked at him, weary and confident. Slowly, Jokul found himself nodding. Aura beamed at him and without a word, she placed her hands around the crystal like stone and accompanied by a small whirlwind, she was gone and the stone fell on a patch of snow._

_Jokul picked it up, watching the stone glow in the sunlight and for a second, he thought he saw her staring back at him from the reflection. _Keep me close. _The words echoed in his head and he nodded._

_With swift movements, he brought the head of his staff closer and forced his ice inside the carved wood, gently pushing it open. The wood cracked and splintered and inside the hole he had formed, he pushed the stone. He then willed ice to cover the hole. Ice cold enough to burn when touched. And to make sure he would never leave his staff behind, he enforced it with ice and frost, delicate patterns covering the wood and, after what felt like ages of concentrating, infusing the patterns and some of his power on the staff itself. Satisfied with his work, he got on to his feet, wondering where he would get his memories erased. River Lethe? But then no one would ever be able to find out where she was and Jokul felt like that would be a bit too final._

_That only left him with the option of asking around… Maybe Loki could help him, or some healer spirit… With a final glance around the clearing, Jokul called for the Wind and shakily it lifted him above ground. A small laughter escaped his lips and the Wind surprised him by laughing alongside him. Grinning, Jokul asked Aura to guide him to Bifröst, wondering if he would find Loki from Asgard._

With a gasp, Jack emerged from the stream of memories. For a few more seconds, he could feel himself flying, and he saw the scenery pass beneath him, but then he noticed familiar golden eyes looking at him from the foot of the bed. With a heavy sigh, Jack gently lowered the container and yelped in surprise when it cracked as soon as it touched the table.

"Crap", Jack stated as the cracks spread over the silvery surface and in haste, he shot a small stream of ice forward to keep it from breaking, his hands hovering helplessly above it. Nothing happened for a few seconds and Jack breathed out in relief, his hands stilling. But just as he was about to turn to Pitch a loud shattering sound came from the container and along with the ice, it broke into small pieces. For a few seconds Jack couldn't do anything but stare at it.

"But… I didn't…" Jack muttered, looking at Pitch, pleading. Pitch barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"I would guess it was enchanted to break as soon as someone took the memories back, and please, do something about that tooth, it's disgusting", Pitch told him and Jack turned around again. In the middle of the pile of shattered ice and silver, there was indeed a glistening white tooth. Jack felt oddly sick at the sight. That was the tooth he had given to Tooth hundreds of years ago… And now it was just lying there, seemingly harmless, but having stored away the secret of Jokul's flight and Aura's location.

He barely refrained from flinching as he realized his thoughts. No, it was not _his _tooth, _he _hadn't given it to Tooth. It was Jokul's. He was Jack.

Suddenly feeling anxious, Jack leaped up from his position on the bed, scooping the tooth from the nightstand.

"Come on! I know where to find Aura!" Jack called out to Pitch as he dashed towards the door. Scoffing, Pitch took his time brushing imaginary pieces of dust from his robes, before melting into the shadows and going after the young, careless winter spirit.

**-O-**

North was humming as he worked. He had asked the yetis to bring him a big block of ice and since it was almost a year until next Christmas, he figured he'd have time for one or two sculptured railways or something alike. He wondered if he could do something similar to the one he had done couple of years ago and this time avoid getting the train smashed by a yeti who decided to come in without knocking. He would have to calculate the power needed to lift it again and make sure the heat it produced wouldn't melt the rockets off…

This is good, North thought to himself as he brought out his chisel. Concentrating on something he loved doing, something that was completely _him_, helped figuring out the sticky magic trying to make its way to his deepest core. Bunny could ward it off with his own magic and barriers down in his Warren and currently his mind was set on getting over Easter. Specific goals helped, North knew that. Tooth hadn't been as lucky, but she managed. She had always been bit of a work maniac, and she was strong. North just worried, that if this didn't end soon, would she be able to stay strong? He hoped so.

Sandy spent most of his time sleeping, dreams and reality made little difference to him and now even less. He had been sleeping more and more as of late, until North had asked him to come to the Workshop so he could keep an eye on the little man. North knew Sandy wasn't stupid nor weak willed. He was old and clever, wise even. But North thought dreams had always been addicting and wouldn't be an exception even for the Sandman. North liked to remind his friend of reality every now and then and when Sandy casted a weary and tired look at him, his appearance catching up to his age, North clapped his shoulder and laughed that booming laugh of his. And relief never failed to flood in as Sandy's eyes brightened just a little bit, the years leaving his shoulders, and he smiled that modest, thankful smile.

Helping others made it easier for North too. He liked helping others, but it wasn't something he would dedicate his life to do. Challenging, but reachable goals and taking care of himself, that was how North was going to get through this. Though there was a small part of him that was telling him to face his fear, take care of the one who spread this bothersome magic, but his sensible side had been able to rein that part for now. North didn't dare wandering down that path, not now. It was too close, too similar to what the sticky magic kept telling him. So this time, North would let someone else deal with it, but would do everything he could to help them.

Though that wasn't all the reason, it played a small part of the reason, that when Jack dashed by him, telling him he was leaving, he called out after him. Somehow he could just sense, that Jack would have a part to play with this problem. The young spirit was sometimes too curious for his own good, but that and the wonder that seemed to shine through his eyes were one of the reasons North felt so fond of him.

"Here, take this. Tell it where you want to go and it'll take you there", North explained as he passed the small globe to Jack, who could barely stay still in his excitement. Jack's eyes brightened and he grinned at North.

"Thanks!" Jack shouted before he took off again. For a second, North almost called after him again, almost told him to be careful, stay safe and it was as if shadow passed over him. But he caught himself just in time, watching as two golden spots flashed in the shadows. Jack would be fine, North told himself, trying to squash the worry gnawing at his mind. But for some reason, he couldn't quite silence it like he usually did. Shaking his head, he told a yeti to go see if Sandy was sleeping and wake him if he was, before he went back to shaping his railways.

**-O-**

They had barely made it out of the Workshop before Jack pushed the globe on Pitch's hands. Pitch had given him a tired look, before sighing and whispering aloud the location where Jack had battled against Jokul as Jack himself had no clue where they had been other than that it was either in North Pole or South Pole.

Only a minute later Jack was blowing away snow to make it easier for Pitch to trudge forward in the thigh height banks.

"Would you finally mind explaining what we are doing here, Frost?" Pitch asked after fifteen minutes of wandering around.

"We're looking for my… Jokul's staff" Jack told him while keeping his senses wide open. Now that it was clear where Aura was, he wondered how he didn't realize it earlier. Even Asbit had been closer than him. "_She even enforced his staff with her magic, so whoever controls the staff controls the Wind…" _It wasn't spot on, but it should have worked as a clue. That and all the things Mother Nature let slip… Oh well, too late to dwell on it now. Jack forced himself to concentrate on the scenery. Well, he tried. But it was completely different seeing the place in silvery moonlight that when he could actually see colors. Though North's Workshop had been much more interesting with all the different colors and shapes.

"And just how are you going to find it in the midst of all this snow which, by the way, _looks exactly the same _where ever you look?" Pitch asked, mocking tone evident in his voice. That alone was enough to make Jack still and take a look around.

"Oh yeah…" he breathed out and again, Pitch refrained himself from rolling his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised", Pitch muttered and a faint pink color rose to Jack's cheeks.

"Well I'm sorry, do you have any better ideas where to look from?" Jack snapped, before dropping down to sit on the snow, crossing his arms. Pitch snorted.

"You could ask Aurora, for one", Pitch suggested. Jack blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Pitch seemed to notice it too as he let out a long suffering sigh.

"Do you ever actually think ahead?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nope, not really", Jack told him, pushing himself up from the snow. But at the same time uncertainty washed over him. But he did plan ahead, quite often too. He hated doing things without having some sort of plan. Didn't he? No, that was Jokul. …right? Jack had formed the plan to take down Pitch, he had formed the plan how to deal with Jokul… But no, Jokul had been the one planning, planning to freeze that annoying wannabe winter spirit. But he had failed, right here. He could remember the Grim Reaper lowering his scythe and he felt a wave of desperation, before calm. _He closed his eyes and breathed in…_

Jack found himself gasping for breath on the snow, Pitch crouching down beside him.

"…ck! Snap out of it Frost!" the frustrated voice was accompanied by a slap to his face and Jack blinked, suddenly shivering from cold.

"I died…" he whispered and the cold seemed to seep into his core.

"No you didn't. A human died, a human named Jackson Overland", Pitch told him steadily, frowning. Jack's eyes were distant again, as if he was blind yet again.

"No, _I _died. _Me_", Jack said. His voice was different, not so desperate, but more like he couldn't believe it was true. Pitch frowned. That didn't sound like Jack. Then those blue eyes fell on him and Pitch couldn't deny that the cold look he gained made him want to scoot away. Jack, no… _Jokul _frowned. Of course, Pitch knew it wasn't actually Jokul. Jokul Frosti was dead. It was his echo, the personality built up by his memories that Jack failed to organize, that was now speaking though Jack. It didn't do much to ease his anxiety though.

"Who… are you?" he asked and the tone, the expression, the way he stressed the words… It all sounded so wrong coming from Jack's mouth. Burning hot anger awoke in Pitch's chest and he pushed away the frail body of the winter spirit.

"What-?" the other started, but trailed off as he looked at the seemingly glowing golden eyes.

"_Get a grip, Jack_", Pitch hissed and the other stared at him, wide eyed, before he crumbled on the snow again. Still seething, Pitch didn't dare approaching the body, instead standing his ground, waiting, while the anger faded, baring the painful stab of worry in his gut. For those few seconds Pitch's mind was the clearest it had been ever since the bond between him and Jack had been cut. It was clear enough so he could temporarily banish the insanity that crept into his mind along with the darkness. Finally, he dared to call forth his shadows. With two swift movements he had Jack in his arms and he had disappeared into the small shadows the blocks of ice and snow allowed.

The clarity lasted for long enough so he could settle Jack down on the icy floor of the Winter Palace, before having to scoot away as not to give into the darkness that came flooding back in. Pitch had enough time to see a fox slip into the hallway, sniffing the air curiously, before bouncing forward to greet Jack's unconscious form. Then Pitch was pulled away by the shadows. The darkness kept whispering to him how easy it would be, with Jack's help, the Guardians wouldn't stand a chance. And Jack wouldn't refuse, Jack would do anything for him.

But no, it wasn't what Pitch wanted… and at the same time it was. Pitch growled in frustration and willed the shadows to take him away as he took one more glance behind to see the fox poking Jack's cheek.

_Because no one should touch what was his!_

"Shut up", Pitch told the darkness and it quieted for a moment. Long enough for Pitch to re-emerge from the shadows. He stumbled and had to lean on the wall of ice, exhausted due to the prolonged use of his powers, but that was good. He could rest for a bit and hopefully the darkness wouldn't be so loud when he woke up.

**-O-**

"Jack?" a soft, childish voice asked from somewhere nearby, having Jack groan, before blinking his eyes open. He was in his palace, though he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. In the ceiling he could see images he had made of the important moments of his life. Jack blinked. No… Jokul's life. He was Jack Frost, a Guardian.

The last thing he remembered was… Angry golden eyes staring down at him. Uh oh. He must have done something horrible if Pitch was mad at him. The times he could remember seeing Pitch as angry as he had been could be counted with one hand. He couldn't remember what he had done though, or what had happened after that, so he decided to shrug it off and ask Pitch about it later. For now, he pushed himself on a sitting position just to be greeted by curious purple and green eyes. With a yelp, Jack scooted backwards.

"Oh, you _are _awake!" Aurora cheered, her fox ears twitching. Jack smiled slightly.

"Yeah… How long was I out?" he asked and Aurora hummed thoughtfully.

"Dunno. The creepy guy brought you here about two hours ago, though", she told him. Jack nodded in thanks, reaching for his staff. Now, why would Pitch bring him here of all places? And where was he? Just as his fingers reached his staff he remembered.

"Oh! Aurora!" he exclaimed, spinning around to face the girl again. Aurora jumped a bit in surprise, her hat falling off as her ears twitched. She looked even younger than her age with her eyes wide open and the thick white scarf around her neck.

"Eh, don't just suddenly yell like that! I have sensitive ears, you know!" Aurora complained and to demonstrate she pulled on her reddish brown fox ears. Jack grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry, I just remembered something. I was actually looking for you", he told her. Aurora tilted her head curiously.

"Oh?"

"I'm looking for m- Jokul's staff, actually. And I'm sorry, it might be a bit insensitive of me to just barge in and demand you to-" Jack explained but Aurora cut him off by placing a hand over his mouth. Surprised, Jack closed his mouth.

"It's fine. I'm fine. Stop doing that, it's annoying. Besides, you're almost like the same person, you know? Except… Well, not", Aurora looked almost as confused as Jack did at her response.

"A-anyway, why do you think I have his staff?" Aurora asked a small frown on her face and Jack shrugged.

"Are you saying you don't?" he asked, or tried asking, but with Aurora's hand still over his mouth it came out as muffled nonsense. Aurora frowned in confusion, and Jack rolled his eyes before removing the girl's hand from covering his mouth before repeating the question.

"No, that's not what I said. Though it's true, I don't have it. It vanished the same as he did", Aurora told him. Jack opened his mouth to answer… And closed it, his shoulders slumping. She… didn't have it? But if it was gone, then how was Jack supposed to get to Aura? The stone had been stuck inside the staff and if they both had disappeared…

"Although…" Jack's eyes snapped back to the girl as she spoke up again, "I did take something with me." She then proceeded to search her pockets, bringing out an ice like crystal.

"I never saw it with him or anything, but it smelled a bit like him, so I just assumed it was something he carried with him, but wasn't his. I thought it was ice at first, but I think it's some kind of crystal or glass, bu-" she ended her explanation to a startled scream as she fell backwards with Jack on her neck.

"Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou-" A wave of relief filled Jack, his fingers curling around the even surface of the sunstone. His tirade was cut off by him falling forward as Aurora shifted shape back into a somewhat small sized fox and yapping at Jack angrily. Jack grinned at her and apologized, before she began growing again. A second later in the fox's place was a frowning girl with furiously red cheeks.

"What was that all about?" she asked, snapping. Jack brought forward the sunstone in explanation.

"Watch", he said. She looked skeptical, but crouched forward anyway. A silence fell into the hallway.

"I don't see anything", she stated after a few seconds. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Just wait", he told her. Again, they both fell into silence, which, few seconds later was broken by the sound of wind howling though the hallways. Then it ceased and the only sound was their breathing. And they waited.

And waited.

Nothing appeared on the crystal like stone.

"So… we're just going to sit and stare at it for… How long?" Aurora's voice cut the silence and Jack frowned. He opened his mouth to respond when…

"Just until I grow bored of watching you ogling at it", a voice told them and in the next second they were both staring at the not-so-empty windowsill behind them. Jack recognized the newcomer immediately from his… Jokul's memories.

"Aura", Jack greeted the girl with flowing platinum hair and white dress. Aurora glanced at him weirdly, but Jack ignored her for now. Aura smiled that innocent smile of hers.

"Hi Jack. It would seem that you finally found me."

**-O-**

Jack wasn't sure what he had expected once he finally found the Wind, Aura. Actually, he hadn't even spared a thought for it other than that he would finally be able to fly again. That was what he hoped anyway. Anyway, one could say he was pretty unprepared for the sudden meeting.

"So… What happens now?" Jack asked once he got enough of watching Aura play with her hair, before settling to sit on a windowsill. Aura glanced up when she heard his voice, shrugging.

"What would you like to happen?" she asked and then her eyes fell on Aurora and she smiled again.

"Do you want to be friends with me?" she asked her and for few seconds silence fell into the hallway. Jack looked between baffled Aurora and the innocently smiling Aura, wondering if she'd been serious. Jack did remember that she had mostly accepted Jokul's request just because she was lonely, but… That was rather blunt. Not that Jack disliked or disapproved it.

"Uh… Sure?" Aurora answered shyly, her ears twitching. Aura smiled at her, before turning to face Jack again.

"I think I would like to stay here", she told him and Jack blinked.

"Here?" he asked, just to make sure. Aura nodded.

"In the Winter Palace. Jokul didn't have one when we met, how could he, but now that you have one, I think I would prefer it over being sealed in a stone. I think I would be safe here", she explained. At the end, her eyes wandered over to Aurora, before snapping back to Jack. Jack frowned.

"But… Does that mean I can fly again? Or not?" he asked.

"You can fly again, of course. You can even keep seeing spirits' auras. I've grown stronger during my time in the sunstone. My sisters don't need me to watch over them as much anymore though, so I think I can allow myself a bit more freedom", she told him, again twirling her hair around her fingers, almost seeming… impatient. Like a child.

"Okay… But… Wait, I can still see spirits' auras? That was you?" Jack's head was spinning. He had almost forgotten that the bright light surrounding spirits had been the only way he had been able to see colors and he had only had his vision back for, what, a day? Suddenly the three hundred years he had spent blind felt like a meaningless amount of time. The Winter spirit had always been able to see, right?

"Yes, it was me. I noticed over the years that with a little effort my sisters can infuse themselves with other spirits' magic, which also causes them to change color accordingly. Everything in this world goes though air, Jack, even magic. There is nothing I can't feel or see", she said and for a brief moment Jack felt the world being turned upside down. For a brief moment there were thousands of voices in his head and millions of currents ripping through his body. Then it was gone and Jack felt the safe confides of his body. Jack blinked owlishly, still a bit busy. That was… Aura? Was that how Aura felt the world constantly?

"It is odd, though, how it would seem that I can transfer my feelings and power onto you. I wonder if it is because I spent so long so tightly knit into Jokul's powers", Aura mused out loud, looking into distance thoughtfully. Then she shrugged.

"Well, however it is, I don't mind, since it makes conversing with you easier. Anyway, I don't think you have all day to waste talking to me. Nothing will change, except that I am no longer helplessly being carried around by a madman. I will grant my powers to your use Jack Frost, because I believe you are stronger than Jokul. I believe, that the small part of your consciousness, the few hundred years' worth of memories are much more persistent than what you have led yourself believe so far", and suddenly Jack realized that indeed, this was the Wind, the companion who had always been at his side ever since he took his first breaths as Jack Frost. It had been there before he met Pitch, all through the years he had spent guarding Pitch, all the years he had thought Pitch was the only one he had. The Wind, Aura had always been there for him, not for Jokul, but him. Jack Frost.

The thought made a warm feeling spread from his chest and for the first time, he smiled earnestly at Aura. Aura responded with a soft smile, before slipping off the windowsill. With graceful steps she approached Jack and Aurora, before stopping. Then, to both of their surprise, he poked Aurora on her nose.

"You're it!" she exclaimed before leaping away, grinning. Aurora took only few seconds to address the situation. The next second she was already in the form of a fox, running after the Wind spirit, nails clicking against the floor of ice. Just before turning behind a corner, Aura spun around one final time.

"You might want to go find Pitch!" she called out and then she was gone followed by a reddish brown blur. Jack stared after the duo, wondering if he should be worried for the Winter Palace, but the shook it off. He didn't even care of the place that much. It was just a necessary strain over his powers. To keep him from getting lost in it.

Curiously, Jack called for the Wind to carry him and to his relief it picked him up eagerly, whispering excitedly. Jack grinned and willed for it to carry him to where Pitch was, trusting Aura to find him for Jack. Soon enough he was off, deeper inside the Palace and the hallway was left empty and silent once again.

**A/N**

That... is one long chapter. ...Sorry? Or you're welcome? Eh.  
Despite the length I feel like I skipped over important parts too fast... Sorry if the quality isn't what it is usually. ^_^'

Explanations:  
**Sunstone **They're a real thing. Tho not the sealing part. Google it.  
...why did I decide to do an explanation box for this chapter again? Can't remember. Feel free to ask me if I'm being to confusing.

Next: Pitch kind of snaps, Jack is kind of lost and Bunny gets worried. ...I think.


	8. Shelter

**Chapter 8 **Shelter 

Distantly, Jack was aware that he didn't know the lay out of the Winter Palace all that well, but even as he wandered down the seemingly endless hallways and past countless rooms his steps never faltered. The Wind was still guiding him with gentle breezes passing by him every now and then, but it was as if he already knew where to go, despite his lack of knowledge in the layout or Pitch's location. And he could swear he knew each room and corner by heart despite knowing he himself had never been there. It was a bit unnerving to say the least.

Finally, turning yet another corner to a large room, hall almost, Jack could see a dark figure slumped against a wall. With hurried steps Jack made his way across the room, only absently taking in the banks of snow and shattered ice all around them. It was the room where Jokul had placed all those spirits back when-

Jack forced himself to focus only on the spirit, who appeared to be sleeping sleeping, leaning on the wall by the corner of the room.

"Pitch", Jack called out silently once he was close enough to reach for the older spirit. His only response was a shuttering breath that escaped Pitch's lips. With a worried frown, Jack reached for his shoulder and shook him gently, repeating the call. This time the golden eyes fluttered open and groggily took in the young winter spirit crouching beside him. With a groan, Pitch pushed himself from the wall, though he stayed seated. Jack sighed in relief.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, and in vain. Of course he wasn't. Jack still couldn't recall what had happened and how he had gotten to the Winter Palace and after that Pitch had just disappeared and then he found him sleeping in the very same hall where only couple of years back they had found the spirits Jokul had trapped in block of ice.

Pitch didn't answer him at first, watching him through narrowed eyes. Then he ran his hand over his face, suddenly looking weary.

"No", he then said, his voice lacking the usual bite, "it would seem I am not." Jack looked at him worriedly as he got to his feet and brushed the snow from his robes.

"I think… I could use sometime somewhere quiet. Would you come with me Jack? It would be just the two of us, just like before", Pitch offered then. Alarm bells sounded in Jack's mind, but when he looked at Pitch, all he saw was the spirit he had known for a long time looking exhausted and hopeful. But still, something unpleasant churned inside him as he looked at Pitch's eyes, though he couldn't say why. He felt like he should recognize it, but he was already battling away the confusion that emitted from Jokul's… _his _previous memories, as to why he was even talking to this creepy gray skinned spirit. The signs he had learnt to pick from Pitch's expressions and appearance slipped from his mind, because he could swear he had never spoken with this spirit, though he _knew _he had. He had spent three hundred years with this spirit. Why did such a long time suddenly feel like so little?

Maybe some time off, somewhere quiet, would help Jack sort out the memories as well. But still… Jack hesitated. Something was definitely wrong, but why was it so hard to point it out?

"Things will never be like they were before, Pitch", Jack told him in order to gain some more time. It seemed to have worked in Pitch's advantage though.

Pitch's shoulders slumped ever so slightly, though he still held his head high.

"I know", he stated softly and his eyes wandered past Jack. Even if Jack wasn't sure he knew this spirit and his quirks, that much was able to get through to him. He exhaled loudly, before agreeing.

"Alright, I'll go with you", Jack told him, "I'm supposed to keep you in check after all, right?" His joke came out lamely, but he heard Pitch chuckle anyway and when he looked at the smirking spirit and thought he saw some sinister feeling pass through his eyes, but he dismissed it. He wasn't sure he actually knew this spirit after all, though he could tell that there had been a time he had trusted him unconditionally. And that is why he didn't even flinch when the other grabbed his arm and pulled him into shadows.

**-O-**

Bunny was painting one of the most successful eggs in his entire life, when he felt something shift inside his Warren. The eggling fell from his paws along with brush as he bolted on his feet, sniffing the air. He could smell chocolate, flowers and earth. The usual things, nothing was out of place, but still… His fur was standing up and his instincts were telling him to flee, which he ignored for the most part as usual.

With careful and silent movements, he made his way to the small hill where one of his holes were located and where he had left his boomerang and egg bombs. He still couldn't tell what was wrong exactly, just that whatever it was gave him an unnatural sticky feeling and frankly, he didn't have time to deal with unnatural sticky feelings. Easter was just couple of months away and after the fiasco two years ago, he had to put a bit more effort into spreading Easter and, most importantly, Hope around the world.

He reached his hole and was strapping his belts on when a smell reached his nose. The smell of vines and grapes. Now, taking into account that Bunny's Warren was like a one huge garden, the scent of grapes shouldn't have put him off, but Bunny knew each of his plants by heart and knew for a fact that he hadn't been growing grapes in a long while, and most certainly not at this part of the Warren.

With a silent whispered command, Bunny relayed a message to one of the egglings scurrying past him and only a few seconds later the egglings all around started scattering and disappearing in small crevices and bushes. Hastily Bunny made his way towards the tunnel where the scent seemed to be coming from, immediately recognizing it as the one he almost constantly kept open in case some distant spirit, or the Guardians, needed to reach him. It was well hidden and mostly used by Jack when he came to his visits, though he hadn't done too much of that lately, fully aware of the hostility lying between his gloomy company and the rabbit-like spirit.

Speaking of Jack… Bunny was worried. The last time he had seen him was when he had been put in a bath to melt off the ice surrounding him after covering the whole South Pole in blizzard. North had passed him a message that Jack was fine and had left the Workshop with Pitch, but it didn't do much to calm Bunny's nerves. Would it be too hard to pay him a visit even if it was just to say he was still alive? Now that Jack and that bugging friend of his, Loki, had deemed it best to burn off his tracking flower _again, _Bunny had no way of reaching the elusive winter spirit either.

But, oh well. It hadn't been that long, so Bunny hoped Jack would come see him soon enough and hopefully explain what was going on. Bunny may be busy with his work, and keeping up with relationships had never been first on his to-do-list, but that was no excuse for the winter spirit to ignore him. They both knew bloody well that Bunny cared about the young spirit enough to dismiss his duties to help him, should he be needed.

But as it was, there was nothing Bunny could do, thus he forced himself back to the reality and sniffed the air again to make sure the intruder hadn't moved, which, curiously enough, they hadn't. Bunny wasn't too far from the tunnel, when he felt the sticky and odd feeling in the edges of his mind again and finally put two and two together.

He knew the magic that tried to creep into his mind, mudding his thoughts and making thinking clearly close to impossible. He had been warding it off from his Warren for months now.

He felt like slapping himself for not realizing it sooner, for not registering the shift in the Warren as unfamiliar magic entering his territory. He could only be glad that he, thanks to his center and dedication to his duties, was more resilient to the effects of that particular branch of magic than most of the spirits he knew, including North, Sandy and Tooth. Because even madness, or whatever mental disorders fit that category, couldn't chase away Hope.

Thus, standing in front of one of the most disliked and feared spirit, Bunny could still reach for his confidence.

Dionysos, the spirit of Madness, was sitting on a rock near the entrance to the tunnel, clearly waiting for him. He was wearing his custom suit along with the deep red neck tie, a bored expression on his face as usual. As to why he was there, Bunny had no idea.

"There you are. It is impolite to keep your guest waiting", the spirit stated, getting onto his feet while brushing off imaginary dirt from his clothes. Bunny scoffed.

"Whaddya want, Dionysos?" he had never been one to play with words. Dionysos simply smiled taking a step towards him, but stopping when Bunny reached for him boomerang. He lifted his hands in front of him defensively.

"I am not here to start a fight. I was simply curious if I could find a certain spirit here. You two have been known to be close since, ah, two years ago, was it?" Dionysos asked and it didn't take much to understand of whom he was talking about. Bunny frowned and he had to refrain from pulling out his boomerang.

"And what business do ya have with Frost?" he asked, feeling angrier every second. Dionysos blinked slowly, that lazy and bored smile still on his lips.

"Oh, nothing much. Not with _Frost _anyway. Just curious. He seems to have dropped off the face of the earth completely", the spirit told him and Bunny was about to demand a better explanation, but the spirit had already turned around.

"Well, I can tell he isn't here, nor do you know where he is. _αντίο_, rabbit", Dionysos called and before Bunny could even thing of objecting, vines sprayed out from the walls of _his _tunnel, hiding the other from the view and when the Warren's plants suffocated the intruding plant life, the spirit was already gone.

Swearing under his breath, Bunny rushed off, towards the tunnel he knew to open up near North's workshop, all the while willing the tunnel behind him close to stop any other intruding spirits from entering uninvited. Quickly Bunny counted days in his head, as it was easy to lose track of time in the Warren, and came to the conclusion that it had been two weeks since Jack had left the Workshop according to North. Bunny was full aware that the one causing all the disturbance in the spirit world currently was Dionysos, but honestly, he hadn't thought it was his problem to deal with. But if that spirit had come here in search of Jack… Well, Bunny wouldn't just let that slide. He would find out what was going on, but first he needed to make sure Jack was alright. Dionysos said he had disappeared and Bunny wanted to know if Jack had done it willingly or not.

Racing though the tunnels, Bunny once again mentally cursed Loki for burning the flower he gave to Jack.

Someone seriously needed to put a collar on that spirit.

**-O-**

Why was he even surprised that he had ended up back at Burgess, once again? That seemed to be one of the places Jack frequented along with North Pole and his Warren.

Well, truthfully, he couldn't be certain if they actually still were here, but according to North, who heard it from Tooth who heard it from one of her fairies who apparently saw someone like Jack getting sucked by shadows somewhere where they knew the entrance to Pitch's lair had been. Why the winter spirit would decide to go hide there, Bunny, nor North, had no clue.

But, well, that was what Bunny was going to find out. Briefly he wondered why it was always him chasing after the reckless young spirit. And why was it that aside from mild annoyance he didn't mind all that much.

Huffing, he shot out from his tunnel near the small clearing and closed it behind him. He ruffled his fur a bit against the cold, before stomping his foot against the frozen ground. Immediately he felt the earth vibrate and his magic seeping deep inside, searching…

He almost flinched when his magic was deflected back by shadows. The vibrations ended when they reached the tunnel leading to the cavern beneath the ground. Bunny frowned, not liking one bit what he had to do next.

Breathing in deeply, he once again reached out with his magic, tapping his foot against the ground. Flowers bloomed around him despite the snow and ice and he felt his magic racing through the ground and finally reaching the shadow filled cavern. It took a bit more of his energy than he would have liked to pierce the shadows to form his own way in, but he did it anyway.

He then made sure he was still carrying the globe North had made for his Moon flowers, enhancing the light, before jumping in.

Soon enough he was standing in a hall filled with shadows and misleading stairs and balconies. Just as he remembered it.

-O-

"Bunnymund?" a curious voice sounded from beside him, making him jump and whirl around just to see a familiar snow haired spirit floating beside him.

"How did you get here?" Jack asked him before he got over his shock, tilting his head curiously. This was not what Bunny had been expecting when he came here. Though he wasn't even sure what he had been expecting…

"How do ya think, Frostbite", Bunny snapped slowly getting over his surprise, "more importantly, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Jack blinked slowly.

"Frostbite…" he muttered thoughtfully, "when did I get called like that…?" Bunny frowned, confused.

"Since I decided to call ya that, don't change the subject", he snapped and Jack's eyes brightened.

"Ohh! Yes, I remember, that's one of _my _names!" he cheered and finally Bunny felt something akin to dread spread into his stomach.

"Whaddya mean one of 'your' names, who else could I be talking about?" Bunny asked carefully and Jack tilted his head.

"Who… Well, me? I guess, but the other me too? Ehh, I mean, what, Jokul? Or Jack?" Jack seemed to be confusing himself the more he went on so Bunny decide to try and distract him.

"Where's that gloomy stalker of yours?" but when Jack just looked at him blankly he clarified: "Pitch Black." Jack's eyes widened again.

"Ah! He's reading, I almost forgot, I was leaving", Jack told him and frowned, "It's hard to keep track of where and when I am. Sorry, it'll get better once I start associating you with 'Jack'." Bunny felt shivers running though his back as Jack… Or someone who looked like Jack looked at him, calculating. His eyes were colder and more distant and for a moment Bunny truly did not recognize him and the words Dionysos had said ghosted in his mind: "_…not with_ Frost _anyway." _Bunny hadn't made much of it then, but now he wondered.

Suddenly the moment was gone and Jack smiled.

"So… Bunny? We are… friends, right?" Bunny frowned at him. Jack was looking past him, his eyes distant as if trying to recall something. Bunny thought about the flower he had given Jack and the promise they had left unsaid, though both had been aware. Bunny had been, and was, ready to acknowledge Jack as his… family? Kin? Annoying little brother? But more than that, it had been a promise that Jack would not go ignored again, as he had been for three hundred years.

And now Jack was asking him if they were _friends._

"You could say that", Bunny stated rather gruffly and Jack grinned brightly.

"So can you take me to Greece?" Bunny blinked. And blinked again.

"Say that again?"

**-O-**

Jack kept twiddling his fingers while Bunny kept throwing suspicious glances at him. He'd agreed to answer Bunny's questions once they had left Pitch's lair behind. Jack was slightly jumpy, fearing he would storm out any second, though he knew from experience that once he started reading a book he could spend hours not moving other than occasionally turning pages.

Pitch would be angry when he found out, Jack guessed. Or just disappointed. Not that it would be any better. Still, it was his choice to make and he needed this. He couldn't live like this, constantly wondering where he was, and more importantly, _when. _It hadn't been this confusing when he had done as Loki had told him to, little by little going through each memory. Then they had settled to a somewhat chronological order, but now… Jack couldn't even say if he had still been Jokul yesterday or if he had met Pitch a year or one hundred years ago. It was all messed up, memories merging together randomly…

Well, not randomly. Sometimes he would fleet through cheerful memories to end up in sad ones. Other times he went through all the memories involving the Guardians to end up remembering all the encounters he'd had with the Leprechaun. One moment he was having a conversation with Khione, then he was back at the library watching Pitch scan through the numerous shelves filled with dusty old books.

It was one of those times when Jack had zoned out and come back to see Pitch frowning at him. Jack had blinked and when he had tried to remember what they had been talking about he had come up with the conversation they had had back when Jack was still getting used to guarding the entrance to his lair. Pitch had been confused, but once he caught up to what Jack had been talking about, he had looked at him with eyes filled with longing and wistful thoughts. Jack had been so shocked he had stopped talking and just stared, but the moment had passed too quickly and Pitch scolded him for not paying attention. He had put down the book he had been reading and fled the room.

Jack had stayed behind, feeling slightly down and guilty and thoughtlessly poked at the book left on the table.

It had been just a coincidence that his eyes had caught on two words: _River Lethe_. And suddenly he had been Jokul again, wondering how to make himself forget Aura and once he returned to the present he had made up his mind.

That was why he was smiling contently while trailing behind the giant rabbit he remembered to be one of the spirits he genuinely liked. But then again, friendships took a long time to form and less to be destroyed. And when Jack tried remembering Bunny, he remembered fond han- err, paws ruffling his hair, but also flaming anger and disdain. The worst was, he couldn't tell which memories were the recent ones, which were more important. After all, he could remember Bunny had given him something, a flower, as a sign, but he didn't have it anymore. Had he thrown it away?

For now they seemed to be doing alright though so he followed eagerly as they walked through the Warren to another long tunnel.

**A/N**

First of all, I want to confess you guys something. Or ask you something actually. Or both. ...Let's start with the confession.  
I'm kind of lost with this. I only have two more chapters written out and after that just a big mess of stuff I was supposed to write and more stuff I want to write and even more stuff I need to write.

But the thing is, I keep scrapping all that I manage to write. Is this writer's block? I've never experienced writer's block, if this is it, it sucks.  
It's a miracle I managed to get through chapter 10 and technically I _can _keep writing, but it would be writing without thinking and that is not good at all. Nope. You do not want to see that. Even I don't want to see that ever again. It's horrible.

So! The question is... Do you have any hints how to get over this?  
Or do you have anything you would like me to include in this story? Any scenes you would like to see? Gimme some ideas and inspiration! :D

I'm going to try and fix this by writing some one shot that has nothing to do with this fic, once I make this update and hope it makes it easier to return to writing this...

Well, moving on  
**Explanations  
**_River Lethe _Have we talked about this yet? No? Well, it's from Greek mythology, one of the five rivers going through the Underworld. Drinking from river Lethe is said to make you forget (so souls that want to be reborn had to drink from this river). 

...Was there anything else I should explain? I'm not sure. Feel free to ask, as usual.  
Also, be aware that I am a huge Greek mythology nerd and yes, I decided to involve a lot of Greek mythology in this story, as you will see in the next chapter. Sorry. Also not so sorry. because Greek mythology is awesome. You may even learn something.

Next: ...How do you feel about Greek Underworld?


	9. Dreams

**Chapter 9 **_Dreams_

Sandy wasn't a seer.

He didn't see the future in his dreams nor the past. He rarely even dreamed of the present. Usually his dreams were filled with manta rays floating in the air and flying on small airplanes while dinosaurs walked on earth.

His dreams were filled with wonder, North had said once and Sandy agreed, even though he knew North's obsession with everything relating to _wonder._

But the same could be said about his obsession with dreams. He liked dreaming and dreams were sweetest while asleep, so he liked sleeping too. Lately, he had been sleeping more than usual, he had noted, though it didn't particularly alarm him. He was as close to immortal as someone could be: he had the time.

But now he was getting off the track, he had been trying to make a point about seeing things in dreams. Yes, he wasn't a seer, he knew that. But that didn't mean Sandy didn't believe in things seen in dreams.

Foreseeing and things like that escaped his understanding and he didn't particularly feel the need to find out and learn about them either. Somethings were better left as a mystery, he thought. Some spirit of foreseeing and prophecies, or maybe some human oracle would have probably been able to explain it, maybe they had even sent the vision, but the theory behind it didn't interest Sandy. What did interest him was what he had seen.

Jack.

Jack had visited his dreams before as had many other spirits, but Sandy was pretty much immune to nightmares, which was why this dream startled him.

Jack had been standing by a river and Sandy had gone to invite him flying with him, but before he could reach him, Jack had dipped his hands into the river and brought some water to his lips. Sandy had felt uneasy then. The water seemed odd somehow, flowing lazily and forming small, slow whirlpools every now and then. It didn't even look like normal water, it was a bit mistier.

So when Jack had tilted his hands to drink the water, Sandy had dashed forward on his golden cloud. He had been too late to stop him and Jack had fallen. He made an attempt to catch the young spirit, but before he could, Pitch had emerged from the shadows, a smirk twisting his lips. Sandy had looked around then and noticed Bunny standing by, just watching. Sandy had frowned and when he turned to look at Pitch and Jack again he had jumped slightly at seeing Pitch looking at him, his golden eyes gleaming with malice and a sinister smirk twisting his lips. He had begun to fade into the shadows, taking Jack with him.

And when Sandy had looked at Jack again, he had been shocked to see shadows creeping up his form, turning his hoodie into murky gray and when he opened his eyes slowly, his face had been blank and his usually bright blue eyes seemed to dim. Just before he disappeared into the shadows Sandy could have sworn he saw his eyes flash yellow.

That was when Sandy had jerked awake. Or he had thought he had woken. He was floating on his golden cloud as usual, but something seemed off, though he didn't notice it immediately, too busy trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

When he had looked around, he wasn't in North's workshop as he had thought he was. No, he was surrounded by white marble pillars and from between them he could see bright sunlit sky and fields of green vines. He had heard sounds emitting from further inside the pillared building, like an ancient temple and curiously wandered forward. Just behind the wall the image of an ancient temple was shattered by modern technology scattered around. He could see laboratory equipment as well as videogames, chessboard and fully solved Rubik's cubes.

Someone had been sitting on one of the few clear counters and another one was slouching on an office chair.

"Where do you think he could have gone to? I thought you said that if Pitch wasn't there he would go to his Guardian friends", the figure from the chair had asked and the one sitting on the counter had scoffed.

"I did say that, didn't I? Except Pitch Black didn't go away, like you predicted", the other spirit, Dionysos, Sandy realized, told the other.

"I said it would logical to think he would leave. I should I have known he'd become fixated with Frost. I may have studied psychology in theory but it's much harder to apply my knowledge in spirits that are not fully in their senses. Their actions are irregular and illogical", the other spirit said, his voice bored.

"You would prefer I pulled away my magic then?" Dionysos asked and the other one sighed.

"And have everyone pushing their noses in our business again, no thanks. I just wish it was over already", he muttered and Dionysos made a sound that could have been an agreement.

"I was so close with Jokul, but then he had to come and ruin it. Why is it so hard for spirits to fade?" he all but whined, but when Dionysos opened his mouth to respond he waved him away. "It was a rhetorical question. I've been looking into this for long enough to discover all the ways for spirits to die", he said. Dionysos shrugged.

"True enough. Should I go ask around again? I doubt it will be long until Jokul's hatred burns through him, but just in case…" Dionysos suggested and the spirit with messy hair and scrawny build pushed himself on his feet with a sigh.

"I'll come with you", he muttered and as they made their way towards Sandy he felt as if something nudged him. With a start he looked around and thought he saw a ghost of a woman before he had the urge to open his eyes and-

He woke up.

**-O-**

North was staring at him patiently while he flashed images above his head. They may have come out a bit more frantically than usually, but if his dreams held truth… He had every reason to be hasty.

"I do not understand this dream of yours… You say you saw Jack drink water and his eyes turned yellow? And Dionysos talking about Jokul and fading and Jack…?" North sounded confused and with a good reason. Sandy didn't understand much himself.

"So we should… stop Jack from drinking this water, da?" North asked and Sandy nodded eagerly. He remembered the suspicious looking river and he _knew _that was the reason for Jack's change in his dream. He still didn't know where he was though. What he did know, however, was that wherever Jack was, Pitch, and more importantly, Bunny were there with him. Why Bunny would just stand by and watch whatever that was what happened to Jack… Well, Sandy intended to find out.

**-O-**

Finding out where Jack could be wasn't that hard, really. There were only so many rivers that could have properties that affected even spirits. They suspected river Ganges, but Sandy dismissed the idea because of the myths of its purifying power. They then went through the various rivers from different mythologies that separated the living from the dead and often had other odd properties, such as water from river Styx supposedly made you invulnerable. They came to the conclusion that none of them could have caused and effect like what Sandy had seen in Jack though, so they moved on.

Once scanning through most rivers, they had to move on from the idea of the water changing Jack, and instead started looking into the fact that maybe it was just the effect of the water that _causes _him to change or made him more vulnerable for it. Regarding the recent events, North had pulled out a book regarding the rivers of Greek Underworld and both their eyes had been glued to the description of river Lethe.

Last they had heard, Jack had released all Jokul's memories into his head without restraint after which he had all but disappeared. It was pretty much common knowledge that Dionysos, a Greek god, had been causing trouble lately and after Sandy's dream…

They made a plan for Sandy to head to Greek and river Lethe and should he not find Jack there, he would proceed to river Ganges, just in case, until moving on to Norway.

They could just hope he would find Jack in time. North would be staying in North Pole and keeping his ears open for any rumors and waiting to see if Bunny would return with news, or better yet, with Jack. He cave Sandy two snow globes, one for his trip to Greek and the other for either his trip to Norway or return to North Pole.

Sandy left the workshop in a flurry of golden sand while North watched him leave with worried eyes. Dionysos might not be their problem, but they would not ignore the blight of the youngest Guardian and if they had to get involved with Greek pantheon's squabbles to ensure Jack's safety, they were more than willing to do it.

**-O-**

Bunny's tunnel emerged to a rather calm field filled with green vegetation. On the west side of the field started rocky hills, which is where Bunny started guiding him. Bunny rather disliked digging through stone it would seem and thus they spent the next one and half an hour walking… Well, actually flying and hopping, through some rather nasty paths leading up to the mountains.

Finally, Bunny pointed ahead to a cave almost completely hidden by stone and vegetation.

"It's the Orpheus' door to the Underworld", Bunny told him and Jack felt shivers run though him as he gazed to its depths.

"Ya sure you don't want to turn back?" Bunny asked him for the tenth time since they started their trek and Jack got the feeling this would be the last time. He turned around with a nervous smile.

"You don't have to come with me, you know" Jack told him and Bunny frowned. He looked like he desperately wanted take his offer and for a moment Jack felt cold, thinking he would have to go down there alone, but then Bunny scoffed.

"And let you loose in the Underworld? Hades, or whoever it is in charge nowadays, would have my hide", Bunny told him and Jack grinned, the nervousness edging away if only a little. Together they turned their backs to the vaning sunlight and ventured in to the deep dark tunnel leading to the land of the dead. Quite literally.

**-O-**

It felt like days had passed, but logically Jack knew it couldn't have been all that long, when they finally reached the end of the tunnel. They were both shivering, though neither of them wanted to mention it, and Jack was even paler than usually, his usually glittering eyes now dull. The tunnel had been dark and silent, the only light coming from the flower globe Bunny still had with him and their footsteps and shuttering breaths being the only sounds.

But now that they reached the end, Jack almost hoped to be back in the tunnel. Bunny's light did close to nothing to ease their nerves, for they could tell, Bunny from sounds and smell and Jack from the drafts of wind, that the cavity was large. And by large they meant at least the size of a moderate city. They had reached the Underworld.

The air wasn't stuffy as they would have expected, but smelt of earth and stone and… Something neither of them could place but the smell of which made them shiver. Bunny's fur was standing up and he kept reaching for his boomerangs, while Jack clutched his staff so thigh his knuckles turned white. The worst of it, though, were the sounds. There was the sound or a river flowing somewhere in the distance, but also the sound of something, a lot of something, moving, wandering, moaning and whining. Jack reached out with his other hand and clutched Bunny's arm. Bunny jumped, but didn't pull away. Steeling themselves, they made to move forward…

The light fluttered off.

They stiffened and as if their senses had suddenly heightened, each of their previous sensations came back tenfold. The air suddenly felt colder and the stone beneath their feet was rough. Both of them were trembling and Jack's heart was beating like a drum. His hand tightened around Bunny's fur covered arm and suddenly he found hard to breathe _because he was blind again and he was cold and the Wind had fallen silent and…_

Bunny stepped forward, jolting Jack from his thoughts and he stumbled behind him.

"Don't stop now", Bunny hissed at him and Jack jumped at the sudden sound. Bunny sounded scared, terrified even and still… He kept moving. How? Why? Jack wondered and as if Bunny had sensed his questions he responded: "If you stop now, you'll never get yourself moving again." The words did nothing to ease his fear, but somehow he found himself moving his feet steadier until he was walking side by side with Bunny again. They couldn't see where they were going, but it didn't matter since they had no idea where they were supposed to go either. Only now Jack realized how stupid and naïve he had been. He knew nothing of this place, he barely knew anything of Greek mythology and he had just decided to dash in without a plan or preparations.

But if there was something good that had come out of this, Jack noted to himself, it was that his mind felt clear. Neither Jokul nor Jack had ever experienced fear like this, not this kind of pressure. The path Jack was walking was his own. He couldn't look to his memories for guidance and even though he knew it should make him even more afraid, more hesitant, he felt relieved. He set forward with renewed determination.

**-O-**

It was impossible to tell how long they had been walking. Their feet were hurting, Jack's more than Bunny's, but neither wanted to stop. They knew that should they stop to rest, they wouldn't be able to get up again.

So they kept moving. When the distant screams of agony and moans of pain came closer and when they walked over some warm liquid smelling of iron, they kept walking. When they were surrounded by cold and sounds of shuffling feet and breathing in their necks, they kept moving. When they heard clattering and sound of long nails, claws, against the stone floor, they didn't stop. And Jack never let go of Bunny's arm, despite his fingers and arm growing tired and stiff. Bunny never moved his arm away either, despite how hard Jack must have been grabbing it.

Finally, after what felt like weeks of walking in dark, they heard the sound of water flowing. Both of them rushed forward without a word and suddenly they could see a dim light emitting from somewhere ahead.

It came from the water, they noted when they reached the riverbed. Or rather, from the mist above it. The water itself looked black as it streamed silently past them.

"Do you think..?" Jack started, his voice rough due to the lack of use and he trailed off. Bunny shrugged, gazing at the water. He was about to say something, opening his mouth, when someone answered in his stead.

"That is the river Styx", the voice sounded sleepy, as if he had just been woken up from deep sleep and when they turned around they saw a man in his fifties sitting on the ground, leaning on a wooden… sign post? Jack couldn't quite make out what it said though, so he focused on the man.

His hair reached just under his chin and was all messed up. He had a stubble and he was wearing striped… pajamas. Pajamas? Jack was more than a bit baffled, but the man ignored him.

"I was under the belief that you were looking for the river Lethe?" the man asked and Jack blinked in surprise. Bunny frowned and Jack could tell him tensing up.

"How do you know about that?" Bunny asked suspiciously. The man rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"I see a lot of things in my dreams. Lethe is that way", he lifted his hand and lazily waved to their left, to the direction where Styx was flowing from.

"Now off you go, I still have a few years to sleep", he mumbled and fixed his position. Only a second later his posture relaxed and his breathing evened. He had fallen asleep. Jack and Bunny glanced at each other and though Bunny seemed wary, they started heading upstream.

They didn't have to walk far, before they could see a figure standing ahead. It was a woman, Jack could tell as they approached. She had curly brown hair on a bun and she was dressed in a long, sleek, white dress. She smiled when she saw them approaching and it didn't waver even as Bunny, to Jack's surprise, stepped slightly in front of him and reached for his boomerang.

"Hello… I heard from Hypnos I would get visitors soon so I've been waiting", the woman stated evenly when they stopped a couple of meter from her.

"Hypnos?" Jack asked before Bunny could say or do anything and the woman's eyes, very light gray, turned to him.

"God… or spirit, if that's what you prefer, of sleep, if you've met him, you know whom I speak of", she said, chuckling. Jack thought back to the pajama glad man and nodded unconsciously.

"Who are you then?" he asked and felt Bunny shift beside him. He still hadn't let go of his arm. The woman smiled warmly.

"I am Lethe", she said simply and Jack nodded slowly, figuring that was enough of an introduction taking into account that she carried the same name as the river.

"So… Um, did Hypnos tell you why we are here, or…?" Jack trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. Lethe tilted her head.

"There is ever only one reason anyone ever seeks out river Lethe. Come and I'll take you to it", she then turned around and made her way away from the light emitting from the river. Jack glanced at Bunny who was looking at him expectantly, before steeling himself. This was what they were there for. If he backed away now… With a deep breath, he moved forward and Bunny moved with him.

They didn't have to walk for long nor did they have to worry about getting lost. Lethe's dress seemed to be glowing some eerie white light. It was dim, but just enough for them to see where they were going.

At the first glance the river Lethe seemed to be glowing the same way as the river Styx, but when they drew closer, Jack noted that while the water of river Styx hadn't been glowing as much as the mist swirling above it. But river Lethe looked like a mix of the glowing mist and water. Jack wondered what it would feel like to touch it…

"We are here", Lethe's soft spoken words interrupted Jack's thoughts. He blinked. Talking about obvious.

"So… I can just… Take some water?" Jack asked and Lethe smiled thinly while Bunny tensed beside him.

"Yes. In the ancient times it wouldn't have been possible. You wouldn't even be allowed to step in here, but ever since Hades faded no one has been left to guard the Underworld. Spirits and mortals alike are now free to make their way here and out as long as they know what they are looking for and don't get… stuck. I am surprised you knew not to bring light here", she tilted her head curiously. Jack and Bunny glanced at each other, remembering how the light had suddenly just fluttered off.

"Why is that?" Jack asked curiously.

"So you didn't know? Light and warmth attracts the spirits of the dead. I am willing to bet you only got this far because one of you is a winter spirit. And the sights of the Underworld… Are not meant for the living. Spirits can walk freely for they are not 'alive' in the same sense as the mortals are, but death holds a certain appeal, especially to troubled souls. Should you be fully aware where you walk, if you could see around you, it might just be that you would wish not to leave", Lethe's smile had turned to a colder version of itself and she stared blankly at the duo.

"Uhm. So, that's the river Lethe? It will let me forget…?" Jack started in order to get rid of the heavy atmosphere. Lethe blinked and her smile warmed up a bit. She nodded.

"Take as much as you need", she agreed. Jack glanced at Bunny, who was staring right back at him with a worried frown.

"Are ya sure about this, Snowflake? If you give it time I'm sure…" Bunny started, but Jack shook his head.

"I don't have that time. I'm sure about this", Jack told him. Bunny's frown deepened.

"Then that's all the more reason to wait! Ya shouldn't be doing this because ya feel like you have no other choice!" Bunny snapped and Jack tensed slightly, before Bunny sighed.

"I have to do this, Bunny", Jack said simply and looked right at Bunny's burning eyes. For a moment Bunny held his stare, but then he looked away, his posture relaxing.

"It'll be fine", Jack told him sheepishly before prying his fingers loose from Bunny's arm. They were stiff and he had to stretch them for a bit to get the aching to leave. Bunny nodded slowly and watched as he turned around and approached the river. Bunny frowned as he watched Jack crouch, wanting to call out. Then he remembered the determination in Jack's eyes and closed his mouth. This was what Jack wanted.

…right?

The water was cold, which was to be expected, he supposed. It really did feel like water though it looked different, if not a bit lighter. He dipped his fingers in and for a brief moment he couldn't get them to move. As if his muscles had forgotten how to move. A slight shiver ran though his spine as he cupped his hands and lifted them from the river. The water kept swirling rather ominously in his hands and he brought them closer to his mouth…

"I wasn't aware I would be getting more guests so soon", Lethe's voice carried over suddenly and in curiosity Jack turned his head around, the water spilling from his hands as he lost his balance. Someone was walking towards them from the shadows. Someone wearing striped pajamas.

"Ah, it's you. What do you want?" Lethe asked and her tone held a tinge of hostility. Hypnos yawned and stretched widely as he settled to sit on the ground near Bunny.

"Oh, I'm simply here to deliver a Dream", he responded and reached into his small chest pocket to pull out something golden. Jack strained his eyes to see. It was a small manta ray. Small, golden manta ray. He didn't have to think long to figure what it was or from whom.

"Is that from Sandy?" he asked anyway, just to make sure. Hypnos blinked lazily as he lifted his eyes to look at him.

"'Sandy'… Oh yes, I would think so. I though he was Morpheus for a moment, but then I remembered that he has already… Well, however it is, this is for you. You are lucky there was someone sleeping down here who can dream or you would never have acquired this", Hypnos told him and the small manta ray lifted off his hand to float towards Jack.

"Why _are _you sleeping here anyway?" Bunny asked suspiciously, his eyes fleeting between Hypnos and the Manta Ray.

"Why…? It's quiet. No noisy humans and pestering spirits for centuries. No one comes to Underworld in seek of sleep. Well, they do, but they do not require my help with it", Hypnos told them. By then the manta ray had reached Jack and was floating lazily above his stretched out hand.

"Do you need any help with that?" Hypnos asked when Jack just stared at the golden sand creature. Jack had barely manage to lift his gaze when Hypnos flicked his hand and suddenly a wave of exhaustion hit Jack, he barely had enough time to lower himself on the ground with the help of his staff before he was asleep. Angry shouts and rushed steps followed him into his dream.

-O-

He didn't exactly fall asleep though. Even when the dark and distantly familiar scenery formed around him he was still somewhat aware of Bunny's shouting voice, Lethe's scathing comments and Hypnos' yawning. He thought he could feel two warm and furry arms wrapping around his shoulders, but by then he was too occupied by the events unfolding before him.

A misty figure of Bunny was standing beside him, stone faced. A few meters in front of him was even mistier figure of who Jack assumed to be Lethe, judging from her flowing white dress. They weren't what caught his attention though. His full attention was turned on himself and his body.

He had the feeling as if he was floating and though he still saw through his own eyes, he felt as if he was watching from somewhere far away. He could feel his body starting to move, walking past Lethe to a riverbank that suddenly formed before him. He was crouching down and Jack knew he had scooped up some water, though he couldn't feel it. As soon as his hands reached his lips, it was as if he was cast off from his body. He watched from above as his body crumbled and was almost immediately surrounded by shadows and… black sand? Yellow eyes glinted in the dark and he could recognize Pitch's cold smirk before the shadows wrapped around them. Confused and desperate, Jack dashed forward, reaching out for his own figure fading into the shadows. He saw his body's eyes fluttering open and he stopped. His heart skipped a beat and all blood flushed from his face.

For a few seconds he couldn't breathe, couldn't think. He was frozen still, until the feeling of someone insistently shaking his shoulders pulled him from his asleep like state.

Even as he stared up at Bunny's bright green eyes narrowed in anger and… worry? He couldn't quite shake off the shock of what he had seen. His eyes had been golden. Golden, just like Pitch's.

And the part of him that he had only recently woken up, the almost ancient memories of the Winter spirit before him, reeled in anger and hatred over the betrayal.

**A/N**

...Hi. I'm sorry, it seems I keep forgetting to keep hold of my weekly schedule. I'll try and update chapter 10 in few days, but after that there will be a slight break until after I've gotten chapter 13 written. I'm not sure long it will take, but since I'm mostly done with chapter 11, I don't think it will be all that long.

Anyway about this chapter... Well, sorry to leave you guys with a cliffhanger? :D Also, we'll get more into Sandy's dream and stuff later, so don't over think it too much, okay? :3 Also, I will be adding a tad bit longer explanation for the Greek Underworld in the very bottom, so those who are interested can take a look.

**Explanations:  
_Hypnos_**is the Greek god of Sleep, or more like the personification of sleep. Thus, I thought it would be appropriate that if Sandy was able to actually transfer his own dreams to someone, it would be to Hypnos. He'll be mentioned at least once in the future chapters, so until then~  
**_Lethe _**is the river in the Greek Underworld, but Greeks often made personifications of things and often they were something like "gods", and I think I remember Lethe being one of those too, so I ruthlessly took the idea and used it for my own gain. :) So basically Lethe the woman is the personification of the river Lethe, again, don't think on it too much or it'll get disturbing (because if that's the case wasn't Jack just about to drink part of Lethe...?) ...ew

Reviews:  
_MugetsuPipefox _Yes, i would think quite a few would have something to say about that, just like Bunny does... But we'll get to that later :3 And thanks for the help with the writers block~  
_NarupokeeAurorafan _That's good, because there is going to be a lot of that :D Thanks for the suggestion with the writer's block~ I ended up writing a one shot, which I don't like at all how it turned out, but thanks to that I was able to get to writing this story again. :)  
_Kentario _Good to have you with us now :'3

Also, thanks to all who reviewed, added this to favorites and followed. Much appreciated~

Next: Aftermath

**Underworld**

Okay, so. The Greek Underworld is mainly formed of three areas: The Fields of Asphodel where all the "average" souls go, the Fields of Punishment where the evil doers' souls go and Elysium, place for heroes and those who did something extraordinary/good. I also tried hinting at where Bunny and Jack are walking with the descriptions (like, they walked past the Fields of Punishment).  
To get to the Underworld, you had to get Charon take them across river Styx (can't be sure if it's actually Styx, different sources say different things) after which you will be judged and sent to one of the three areas. Some sources say that the worst people can also be sent to Tartarus (often describes as some sort of abyss), the deepest bit of the Underworld, but mostly I've heard that that's where the gods put their worst enemies (the titans etc.).  
As for the layout of the Underworld, I admit I was a bit too lazy to see if there was any confirmed "mapping" done about it. But most sources agree that the three headed dog, Cerberus guards the entrance and various monsters can be spotted nearby too. There are also five rivers running through the Underworld: Styx, Acheron, Lethe, Plegethon and Cocytus (pardon me if I mis-spelled something, I tried to check). If you want to know more about those, feel free to ask.

The doors of Orpheus I mentioned, I took from the story of Orpheus who lost his wife and in order to bring her back made his way to the Underworld. He convinced with his music (that made even rocks weep) Hades to allow him to take his wife back, but only if he agreed not to look at her until he reaches the land of the living. His wife (can't remember her name D:) kept asking him to look back and once he did, Hades took her back and Orpheus had to leave alone. (Some say they turned to stone or something, but meh.) So I used the idea that Orpheus left the doors he made (by playing music and thus persuaded the rocks and ground make way) open and that they were simply forgotten. Sue me.

If you have more questions, about anything really, feel free to ask.


	10. Wasted Efforts

**Chapter 10 **Wasted Efforts

Curiously enough, getting out of the Underworld had been much easier than getting in. Apparently the only ones able pass to and from Underworld were the living, but since living beings usually needed food, they would eventually have to eat something and most of them didn't bring their own lunch with them, oddly enough. And as one should know before venturing to any Underworld, eating the food grown and prepared there would make it impossible to leave. And that is how spirits, living beings that didn't need food to produce energy, could walk out freely.

Well, mostly at least. If they got caught by anyone guarding the place, say Cerberus in Greek or Hel in Norse Underworld, getting out alive would be much harder. Besides, a walk in the Underworld was exhausting to say the least. Spirits gathered energy from their element or center. For Bunny it meant Spring and Hope, and human beings, dead or alive, would never give up hope, so a trip to the Underworld could have been worse. As it was for Jack, since the Underworld had no Winter as it had no Spring or Summer either and his center… Well, Fun wasn't unheard in the Underworld, but it wasn't exactly common either.

That, Bunny figured, had to be the reason Jack was so wiped out. The young spirit was dragging his feet bad enough that Bunny was worried he'd get scratched. But despite his evident exhaustion, Jack was still twirling the small vial of water in his hands. Diluted water from Lethe, Bunny knew, and there were no words to how much he despised that vial. But still, it wasn't his choice to make and whatever Jack decided, he would agree.

Finally Jack sighed and put the vial to his hoodie's pocket and his eyes travelled to his side to meet Bunny's. He blinked, surprised.

"So?" Bunny finally asked, now that he had Jack's attention. They would reach the Warren soon anyway, so there was no danger of anyone overhearing. Jack didn't respond, just tilted his head, confused. Bunny frowned.

"What made you decide it wouldn't have been such a good idea to drink the water straight from Lethe?" he asked, trying to keep his frustration under control. And probably failing miserably. Oh well.

"Oh…" Jack started, the stopped to gather his thoughts, "it was that dream." Bunny just kept staring at him, frowning even deeper. Jack seemed to sense his frustration, finally, and hurried to continue.

"I… saw something disturbing and it made me think… Well, it made Jokul think… What would cause such a change? What could possibly affect me so much that I… That my center… Well, it wasn't me as much as it was Jokul's memories", Jack explained, or attempted, since Bunny still couldn't understand much. But if he thought about it, it made sense. He had only seen Jack truly angry once before and his anger had been cold and silent, but what had happened back in the Underworld had been anything but silent.

Jack had exploded, figuratively speaking, and though it should have been impossible, his anger had been enough to cover the ground in frost and freeze the shallow part of the river Lethe. Even Bunny, despite knowing that the anger wasn't directed at him, had felt pure terror flushing through him. Even after witnessing the storm over the South Pole, he had hard time understanding just how much power Jack had under his control.

"_What were you hoping to achieve by this…?" Jack had asked, his voice cold, unfamiliar. Lethe had seemed to shrink, her arrogant expression faltering._

"_N-nothing", Lethe had stuttered out and Bunny had not been surprised to see her breath coming out as steam. Funny thing was, Bunny felt as warm as he could in the Underworld._

"_It's just… You didn't ask! Here", Lethe had suddenly rushed to the river and scooped up bit of the water to a small vial. She had then slowly made her way to Jack, offering the vial._

"_Fill the rest with pure water… Diluted water from river Lethe can be used to erase memories more efficiently should you actually wish to keep some memories, but undiluted…" she faltered as she looked at Jack… No, Bunny wasn't sure that was even Jack anymore. She gathered herself, a stoic expression taking over once again._

"_It will take everything. Everything you're ever learnt or achieved. Even your muscle memory will be gone", Lethe had told him and finally the ice and frost had let up. The freezing cold had slowly faded and the spring spirit and winter spirit had left without another word, not even sparing a glance backwards._

Finding the raft Charon had once used to take people across had been easy enough after they had spotted river Styx and slipping out… Well, it could have been easier but they made it anyway. Bunny came out from his musings just in time to see Jack stumble and fall forward. With wide eyes Bunny leaped forward just in time the catch the young spirit before he hit the ground.

Jack blinked slowly, not quite getting the situation even as Bunny pulled him back on his feet. Jack's unfocused eyes landed on Bunny and his eyelids fell half closed.

"Khione…?" Jack muttered before his eyes closed. Bunny bristled, recognizing the name from the myths, but then his shoulders slumped. This was far worse than Jack had made it seem. He understood now Jack's need to make himself forget Jokul's memories, but…

Wasn't it such a waste? Jokul was centuries old and even if he didn't want to admit it, Jokul had been wise. To waste all that knowledge… But it wasn't Bunny's call to make and perhaps it was best that way. Bunny wasn't exactly objective judge either, maybe he was a bit too soft. After all, Jokul was dead, it was only logical his memories would die with him, was it not? After all, no matter how anyone wished for it, the echo made by the memories never was and never would be Jokul. It was just that, an echo. A ghost.

And maybe Jack was in the right in attempting to exorcise it.

But a flicker of doubt that he would never voice out still lingered in his mind.

**-O-**

When Jack woke up, he was somewhere bright and warm. A little bit too warm actually, but the familiar scents and feeling made up for that. He was in Bunny's Warren. He didn't really remember how he had ended up there, but he figured Bunny had brought him there as usual when something more or less unexpected happened.

Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes. He was curled up on a grass beneath the tree where he always took refuge when he visited the Warren. Jack couldn't see Bunny anywhere, but that was nothing unusual, especially with Easter coming up. He yawned and stretched before pushing himself on a sitting position, relaxing his fingers from around his staff. He could feel the vial or water from river Lethe gently pressing against his stomach from the hoodie pocket.

With a sigh Jack backed up to lean his back against the tree and pulled the vial from the pocket. And finally he let himself think.

To think how convenient it had been that Pitch had been reading about Greek mythology. That Pitch had coincidentally left open the page telling about river Lethe before leaving the room. How Pitch had subtly made him feel guilty for having memories that he had no control over.

And finally, think about the dream Sandy had sent him. The last he had checked Sandy did not have powers to see into the future. And how unlikely was it that one of the few spirits who could convey Sandy's dreams had been sleeping just in the right place to prevent Jack from drinking from river Lethe in time? If someone asked Jack – or was it Jokul doing the thinking? He couldn't really tell– he would say it was all lining up a bit _too_ well. It made him feel uncomfortable, as if he was being played, but as it was… there was little he could do about it. And because it was useless to dwell on things you could do nothing about, Jack focused on the essential.

Like how it all leaned up to the conclusion that Pitch had knowingly tried to make him forget everything and only something very unlikely and unpredictable had happened to save him. Jack's chest ached at the thought. He had thought… After all they went through he had thought he could trust Pitch. That's what his memories and instincts as "Jack" told him. But the feeling of betrayal woke something from Jokul's memories and Jack could vividly remember Khione smiling at him before his friend, his oldest friend, Thanatos had taken her away from him.

And it hurt. And it made him angry. It was a difference between them, Jack knew. How Jokul countered hurt feelings with anger while Jack… Jack mostly tried to avoid them. But he was angry, never mind from whose memories the feeling emitted from.

_Pitch wouldn't do that_, the small part that was still indefinitely Jack whispered, _at least not without a reason. _Pitch had told him he had felt the magic creeping in his mind, he had told Jack he didn't feel well, but Jack had forgotten. And even now the anger rising from Jokul's memories buried away his reasoning and he felt _cold._

The image he had of Pitch kept flickering and changing until it reminded him more of Thanatos than Pitch.

Before he even noticed it himself, he had commanded the Wind to carry him and he was racing down a tunnel from where he could feel the fresh air.

**-O-**

Perhaps it was fortunate he didn't encounter anyone on his way to Burgess. His anger was blaring cold and where he passed, the ground or water was covered in ice and frost. He could distantly hear the Wind whispering to him worriedly, maybe even Aura's voice speaking to his ear, but he ignored them.

He was powerful and he was old. He would not accept anyone looking down on him like Than- Like _Pitch_ had.

His anger hadn't faded even by the time he reached Burgess and lowered himself on the ground before the gaping black hole on the ground. The fact that the hole was there fed the anger he felt, because it meant Pitch had known he had left. Without hesitation, he leaped down the hole, freezing the tunnel as he fell.

Nothing would get out without his consent.

His feet hit the floor, frost spreading to cover the hall entirely. He felt more than saw the Nightmares backing away from him warily.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard Pitch approach him. It was dark down there, but the light reflected by his ice was enough so he could make out the dark figure that wisely stopped a few meters away from.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, though Jack's ice made cracking sounds as it slowly spread across the floor.

"You knew", Jack stated then, his voice cold. Distantly he acknowledged that that was not his voice, this was not his demeanor. That the old, old anger burning through him was not _his _and not really directed at Pitch_. _But the voice reminding him was buried under hundreds of years of living with the same anger.

_But Pitch hadn't been there back then, _the voice tried to tell him, but it only worked against itself. Memories of Thanatos reaping his beautiful Khione and the Moon attempting to rip away everything that was his just because the humans had decided to disregard him like so many others before him.

He had done nothing wrong!

_But that couldn't be, _Jack's voice said, _because that was when he had been born. When the Moon had given him everything he was, when he had met Pitch._

But again it went ignored, replaced by the memory of the Moon sending the Guardians for him, the memory of Pitch leaving him. The small part that spoke with Jack's voice flinched and faded into the stream of painful memories and emotions which kept feeding the anger.

"I did", Pitch responded after a long moment of silence.

"You tried to make me forget _everything_", Jack- _Jokul _said, his voice still carefully blank despite the raging emotions behind it. Pitch simply nodded

"_Why" _Jokul asked, his anger finally pushing through, "why would you want me to forget? And choose your words carefully when you answer. My patience is running thin." Pitch's eyes darkened.

"I am not speaking to _you_. You are but an echo without a soul, you would not understand me should I answer to your question", Pitch said, his voice quiet but furious and Jokul had to stop himself from flinching.

"I have a soul, _I am alive_" Jokul shouted and along with his shout, power surged through his staff and in mere seconds the whole hall from floor to the ceiling was covered by sharp ice. Pitch's feet had been frozen to the ground, but the spirit showed no sign of even noticing. His eyes were focused on Jokul, never wavering.

"No", Pitch stated when the ice stopped crackling momentarily, "it's not your soul. _You_ are dead." And with those simple words Jokul and Jack, remembered standing on ice before it gave out beneath them and they were sinking, drowning, and _it was_ _so cold… _But as soon as the memory began, it faded away, replaced by something else that made their breath catch in their throat.

_He was lying on snow and above him he could see the upstart winter spirit, Jack Frost gazing at him sadly. _Why was he looking at him like that? This was all his fault._ He felt his little fox curled beside him and then he saw Thanatos lowering his scythe. He smiled slightly, because he was going to die and it meant he didn't have to worry about the little fox, about Khione or about his duties anymore. He would be free. Cold creeped up on him and his breathing stuttered and then… There was _nothing_._

He gasped for breath, emerging from Jokul's memories, eyes wide. The anger was fading away along with the memories. For a few seconds Jack focused on breathing.

_Jokul died_, he told himself, _he's not here anymore._

He was Jack Frost, the new Winter spirit. He was a Guardian and he was Fun. Jack slowly released the breath he had been holding.

Finally he looked up at Pitch, who was still standing stoically still, just watching him. But even if the anger had faded, the feeling of betrayal remained. And so Jack forced himself to ask the question burning in his mind again: "Why?"

And this time he saw Pitch's shoulders slump and his eyes soften, as he recognized Jack. But still… it all looked too smooth. Too practiced. Warily Jack tensed, his guard up.

"Jack", Pitch sighed, "I thought…" He stopped there, his eyes flickering past Jack and Jack frowned. Before he could ask Pitch to continue Pitch's eyes returned to him and he looked so _tired _that Jack wanted to apologize and-

"Aren't you tired Jack? Tired of all these games and lies we keep telling. Of everyone sticking their noses where they don't belong and-" Pitch's voice hitched. He took a deep breath before continuing: "I hoped… I want to return to the way it was, what we were before all of this. Before Jokul… I don't like seeing you like this, lost, confused. I…"

"Liar", Jack snapped, despite the pain that simple words caused in his chest. Because if it was true… Pitch looked at him, surprised. And Jack knew he was right. It made no sense Pitch would try to wipe Jack's memories so they could return to how it had been. Not all of his memories, because Jack wouldn't be Jack anymore. And the Pitch he knew… He cared about _Jack._

"Didn't we agree?" Jack asked before Pitch could try anything, "Didn't we agree to stop reaching for the past? Because it wasn't supposed to matter. We both made mistakes, but _we're still here _and I still… I still need you, I will always need you, but I want to remember. I want to remember the mistakes we made and the things you taught me and…" Jack took a breath before continuing, his voice silent.

"And it's too late for new beginnings. Even if I forgot, even if we both forgot and weren't Pitch and Jack anymore, everyone else will remember and we would be the ones out of the loop", the silence after Jack's words only lasted for a couple of seconds.

"You want to remember _the Guardians_", Pitch spat out and Jack bristled. "Even after all they did to you, after all the Moon did to you! If you didn't remember all their lies and their attempts to take you from me, you wouldn't side with them! You would help me-!" And Jack knew he couldn't run from this anymore. This was not his Pitch. This was the Pitch he had met all those years ago, this was the Pitch that had been before he had come after Jack all those years ago, when he had lost himself.

"Help you so what, Pitch? Take revenge? I wouldn't. I never would", Jack told him, his voice determined. He saw Pitch turn his face away, angry, and his voice softened: "But it doesn't mean I'm not on your side. I will always be on your side, so please… Please don't get stuck in the past. I need you Pitch… Dad. Now maybe more than ever." The ice covering the hall started cracking and falling apart, before beginning to melt. Pitch's eyes were wide as he looked at Jack standing on the only patch of solid ice. But then he frowned and the anger was once again twisting his features.

"And yet you would let them chain me like a dog", he snarled and this time Jack's eyes widened in shock and hurt. And finally Jack saw it. The reason their relationship had grown so twisted, the reason the magic had been able to affect Pitch to this point. The bond the Moon had made between them. To Jack it had been just that, something that pointed him to Pitch wherever he was, but to Pitch… It was a chain. Restricting and painful. To Pitch it was a reminder how all of this, how all Pitch had was because the Moon and Guardians allowed it. Jack inhaled sharply and turned away, unable to look at Pitch.

How could he be so stupid? How could he not see…?

"I'm sorry", he whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't think. I thought… Because we were together, I thought it was… I'm sorry." Silence surrounded them. Jack stood frozen in his spot, guilt dwelling inside him. Because it was his fault they had come to that, it was his fault for not realizing that all this time it wasn't just Pitch's bitter feelings against the Guardians that allowed the foul magic affect his mind_._

"_And being tied like this… It certainly isn't helping."_

But Jack had thought it was fine as long as he kept close, that's what Pitch had said, but… He should've been able to see it. And even now, even now that he knew it was his fault he was still selfishly hoping…

"I'm sorry", Jack repeated quietly, still not facing Pitch, "I… I know I can't change what's happened, but… please. I'll never do something like that again, I'll never allow anyone do something like that, so please…" Finally Jack lifted his eyes to Pitch and his voice got caught in his throat. Pitch was standing still, his eyes staring blankly at Jack.

"I'm sorry", Jack said once more, his voice breaking. Unable to look at Pitch anymore, he let the rest of the ice covering the tunnel that led out to shatter. Only a few seconds later he was gone.

**A/N**

Ahahaha, late? Who? Me? No way. I'm never late! *cough* ...I'm sorry. ._.

So... Uhm. Let's start with the reviews this time around.

_MugetsuPipefox _Err, I'm sorry? You are free to blame your bad grades on me if that helps? ^u^' Anyway, I'll relieve you of the possible curse of overthinking that my previous chapter may have caused. This should explain some things... And only some, sadly. Until next time! :D

I don't think I have much else to say... Ask me if you need some explanations, if not... Feel free to review anyway. It helps me keep motivated.  
Anyway! Chapter 11 will be up in a month or two, sorry for the wait, but I have warned you beforehand so... Yeah.

Next: We get to see our favorite fire spirit again~ (What do you mean you don't like her? Just because she was mean to Jack...)  
((Yeah, I don't really like her either.))


	11. Solutions

**Chapter 11 **Solutions

After leaving Pitch's lair, Jack didn't bother to keep track of where he was going. He flew for hours, trying to rid himself from the memory of Pitch's blank face and of the guilt pitting at his mind.

As it was, he didn't know what to do next.

Should he seek out Loki?  
But he didn't know where to look for.

What about the spirit causing all this chaos among spirits?  
He didn't know where they were either.

Then… He could go deal with Asbit now. Proclaim the Wind as his.  
…

Some hours later he found himself sitting on an icy cliff, overseeing the wide ocean eating away the ice beneath him. He was sitting cross legged, his staff laid over his legs. He should probably be somewhere spreading snow and fun, but he couldn't make himself move. Instead he was flitting through Jokul's memories that had come crashing back little after he had left Burgess.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, living through memories that weren't his when he was nudged out by a light sound from behind him. Slowly, he turned his head just enough to see a girl with flowing white dress and long hair approach him, holding a sleepy looking fox in her arms. The girl dropped to sit beside him, petting the fox until she closed her eyes contently.

Neither said a word for a long time.

Jack was lost in yet another memory when he heard someone speak to him. He thought it was another voice from a memory, but then realized it was Aurora's voice and Aurora had not even been born yet. The realization pulled him back to the present and he stared at the sleepy looking girl with orange-brown messy hair that was lying on her stomach beside him. Aura had moved to stand at the very edge of the cliff, her arms spread wide.

"Well?" Aurora asked impatiently. Jack just blinked at her, confused. Jokul's memories recoiled, as Aurora had never used that tone with him. Aurora sighed, he fox ears twitching.

"Aura told me you went to river Lethe to forget Jokul's memories. Did you?" Aurora repeated and Jack smiled slightly at her as he shook his head.

"Why not? That's what you wanted, isn't it?" she tilted her head curiously and before Jack could stop himself he reached out to scratch her behind her fox ear, just as he had done so many times before. Aurora's eyelids fluttered, before she frowned and pushed his hand away, blushing. Jack smiled.

"Don't do that, it's creepy", she muttered and patted her hair down in order to get it look less messy.

"Sorry", Jack said mildly, turning his eyes back to the sea. Aurora frowned.

"It doesn't matter anymore", Jack then told her in response to her earlier question. Aurora snorted.

"Yeah right. Aura told me that because you have memories of two lives that both happened partly at the same time, the older memories would eventually win out. She said they would suffocate the memories that don't fit in", Aurora said and Jack turned back to her, startled. But then his expression evened out.

"Wouldn't that be better for you? Jokul would come back", Jack asked and almost flinched afterwards at how harsh he sounded. He was about to apologize when Aurora already answered him.

"No", she said, but his voice held none of the anger Jack had expected to be there. Instead she looked calm and slightly wistful.

"Jokul is dead. What you have is just a copy of his memories", she stated.

"'Memories make the man'", Jack repeated, something he had heard some humans say when he had been inspecting hospitals and come across some amnesiac patient.

"You would never be him", Aurora insisted, "Your mind works differently and your body will remember all your usual reactions. You don't even look alike. You would be a cheap copy. I don't want to see that." Jack stared at her. It sounded like she had put a lot of thought in that, but he figured he couldn't blame her. He was the same as she was, chasing after someone important that they would never reach. The only exception was that while Aurora could have done nothing to stop Jokul from dying, while Jack was the very reason he had drifted so far apart from Pitch.

"What do you suppose I do then?" Jack asked, more to just amuse her than actually considering her words. He just couldn't see how any of that mattered anymore.

"Aura thought of another way you could stop the memories that doesn't involve having to forget them", Aurora told him and the way she turned away her eyes made Jack narrow his eyes suspiciously. When Aurora seemed to be determined to ignore him, he turned to look at Aura.

As if sensing his eyes, she spun around, lowering her arms. Without a word she made her way to Jack sat by his side, leaning on his shoulder. Jack's breath hitched as he was painfully reminded of how his little sister used to curl beside him whenever they had a quiet break.

"I've always been by your side, Jack, you know that right? That we are friends?" she asked after a moment of silence and Jack relaxed slightly. She wasn't his little sister, but… She was something.

"I know", he answered, and he wasn't sure if it was himself or Jokul speaking. But he remembered spending years and years in darkness and when the only way to see colors was through Aura's powers as she had told him. He remembered how the Wind had always been there, guiding him and looking after him. Even making sure he would befriend Pitch.

"And you know I would never want to hurt you and that whatever I do or say… It's up to you what you choose and I'll stay by your side. I will always be by your side", she said and Jack felt himself tense again. This was beginning to sound ominous. Still, he forced himself to relax. Because he trusted her. As she said, the Wind had always been there for him.

"I know", he said quietly. Aura nodded.

"Then you need to find Loki. He can help you. And I think…. You can help him too."

And Jack didn't question her.

**-O-**

Aura was the Wind, Jack knew. But he had never really bothered to wonder if she could actually _fly_. She could. Of course. But wow. Jack couldn't be sure if what Aura did defined as flying, but for the lack of better word, that would have to do. And when he saw Aura fly, he realized that Aura really _was _the Wind. Like… Ugh. There were no words to explain it, but when she flew…

One moment she was visible, but the next moment she wasn't. The dress whirled around her and seemed to be falling in pieces, like flower petals as it kept fading in and out of sight. The same went for her hair, which – against the laws of physics, but hey, who pays attention to those – swirled around her as if she was underwater instead of flying, the tips fading out of view so softly that it was impossible to tell how long her hair actually was.

To say the least, it was beautiful to look at.

The same could be said for Aurora as well. She wasn't flying in the sense that Jack and Aura were, but instead she had the Northern Lights dancing beneath her paws while she ran gracefully as a, well, Jack would have said cat, but since she was a fox, Jack figured she would take offense to that.

It probably went without saying that Jack felt clumsy and helpless next to them.

Not to mention he still had no idea as to where they were headed. Which he voiced out as soon as he got over his awe.

"I'm still looking", Aura told him and Aurora yapped behind them before racing ahead and spreading her colors across the sky.

"Looking?" Jack asked curiously, giving Aurora a small smile when she turned to look at them.

"Listening. Would you like to help?" Aura explained and before Jack had the chance to ask how he suddenly felt dizzy, but the sensation passed as soon as it began. He would have blinked and frowned, but then he realized he couldn't feel his body. A little put off, he tried moving and frowned deeper when he found he couldn't. He was still in his own body, though, he could see Aura flying beside him and Aurora running ahead…

Then he heard the voices. The Wind. But it wasn't just whispering sounds as usual, this time he really _heard _them.

"…_she said she loved him…"  
"…by that cave in the mountains…"  
"…fairies are acting odd in…"  
"…I blew away her papers!"_

Jack would have been lying if that wasn't a confusing experience. So many voices and each talking about something different.  
_  
"Jack is here!"  
"…the stupid purple wine spirit…"  
"Jack, let's play!"  
"Shush, he's with Mother!"  
"…complains about how high the rent is…_

Hearing his name helped him tune out some voices, but it was still hard to find something, someone, who was more... present.

"…_still building that ice train…"  
"…Jack doesn't want to play?"  
"…snowstorm for the children…"_

Finally finding the source of one of the voices, Jack decided he should try and tell them what he needs. But when he spoke, he didn't form words. Instead it was more like his thoughts just… floated out.  
_  
"They're looking for something…"  
"Should we help them?"  
"…mirrors made of ice…"  
"But Mother is looking already, isn't she?"  
"…idiotic children running…"  
"It'll be faster if we help Jack!"  
"What are they looking for?"  
"Let's help Jack!"_

Suddenly the voices erupted into chatter, more and more voices joining in. The only thing Jack could really make out was his name and… giggles? Had he somehow unknowingly earned himself a fanclub?

"_Mother is looking for the green magic dude."  
"Loki the trickster?"  
"Why are they looking for him?"  
"Let's help Jack!"  
"I saw him!"  
"Loki?"  
"Green?"_

Jack tried tuning out few of the voices again and focus on the one who claimed to have seen Loki. Again, he tried to speak to ask for location and the thoughts just floated out as they had before.

"_He wants to know where?"  
"Where?"  
"Jack, let's play!"  
"Where is where?"  
"The place where we saw Loki!"  
"Place?"_

Jack would have frowned again if he could have and tried to explain to them the concept of "where" and "location".

"_Play with us Jack!"  
"To the west!"  
"We saw him in the land!"  
"Where?"  
"We'll take you there!"_

And suddenly Jack felt a shift in the Wind as it changed course. He could see Aura imitating his change of course at the same time, though Aurora took a while longer to catch up and she let out a confused yip.

"_Will you play with us now, Jack?"  
"It's not far!"  
"It's pretty far."  
"He moves around fast."  
"Let's play!"_

Jack barely had enough time to promise that they would play later when he felt a wave of dizziness pass through him again and found himself back in control of his body.

"My sisters really like you", Aura stated, her voice just a bit too innocent sounding. Jack couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped him. Other than that he figured that particular subject would have to wait. He was more curious about something else.

"What was that?" he asked, earning him a grin from Aura.

"I tuned you in to my powers. It takes a toll on brains, though, even if you are a spirit, so I made your body forget it was connected to your… soul, consciousness, the 'spirit' part of you", Aura explained. Jack blinked, again reminded that despite her looks, Aura was an old spirit, even if she had spent a long time sealed in a rock.

"You can do that?" Jack asked, incredulous. It could be just him, but he thought it should be more complicated than what Aura made it sound like.

"Just with you. It's probably because I've been channeling my powers through you for so long", she said, her tone absent, as if she has thinking about something else already. Which she probably had been as only a second later she sped up to catch up with Aurora to begin a game that seemed to be a mix of playful wrestle and tag. It didn't take much longer until Jack pitched in with a few sloppy frost animals.

**-O-**

The air was getting gradually warmer the longer they flew and Jack had to finally admit that he had no clue as to where they were headed. The game with Aurora and Aura had stolen his attention and before he knew it, they were flying over huge fields filled with nothing but occasional rocks and scarce trees. Every now and then they did fly over a small town or two, but mostly it was just a large plain. he figured they could be somewhere in Asia, but before he had the time to ponder on it longer, he felt a sudden shift in the wind and a wave of warm air hit against them, making Jack momentarily feel sick.

Suddenly Aura was flying beside him while Aurora settled to run above them, unnaturally quiet, her ears flattened against her neck.

"Uh oh", Jack twisted around in the air to glance at Aura curiously. Aura didn't look at him, her eyes distant, as if she was looking somewhere far away.

"This is not good", she stated and before Jack could question her, she continued: " I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I would suggest you prepare yourself." Jack barely managed to open his mouth to ask what he was supposed to prepare for when he felt another wave of hot air hitting against them and suddenly he remembered what happened when cold and hot air met.

As soon as he thought about that, he felt the pressure in the air and saw Aura spreading her arms as if holding something back. Then she met his eyes, smiled apologetically and disappeared. At the same moment the Wind went wild and whipped Jack from his gentle stream of wind into a whirlwind and for a few seconds Jack lost his direction of where was up and where was down.

Then he was falling and he swore he had felt the wind push him out of the whirlwind, but it didn't comfort him much as he was pretty much freefalling towards the very hard looking ground. He had barely managed to open his mouth to yell when something grabbed a hold of his hood. He stilled for maybe a second. Baring a glance upwards he saw Aurora biting down on his hood and miraculously holding his weight on her colorful… platform? Cloud?

"Thank-" he started but was cut off as a strangled yelp escaped Aurora's throat and then they were both falling, albeit more slowly as Aurora struggled to keep them in air. She finally gave up a couple of meters above the ground and Jack felt her teeth let go of his hood. He managed a yelp before his feet hit against the ground. He landed in a crouch, thanks to his unfortunate experience with falling from places (and the wind dropping him) every now and then.

Aurora stayed in the air, running a bit higher in a circle, before stopping and snarling at something on the ground. Jack used his staff to push him properly on his feet and looked around to see what she had spotted. It didn't take long. Only a few meters before her stood a tan woman in sleek red dress. It was the first time Jack could see her in colors, which is why it took him so long to take in the straight cut hair and glaring eyes.

Asbit.

Jack's breath shuttered as he remembered burning hot sand climbing up his legs and tights, burning, suffocating and suddenly _hecouldn'tbreatheandithurt-_

Aurora let out a feral growl that Jack would have though was impossible for her to produce. It was enough to snap him from his memories and register the way the ground seemed to be giving in under his feet. At the same moment, he saw something move above him and looked up to see Aurora's small form growing bigger and bigger, the bright orange brown fur darkening. Then there was a monstrous fox like creature standing before him, facing the fire spirit with a feral growl.

Jack stared with wide eyes as Aurora snapped at the air in a clear warning, never having known she could manipulate her shape shifting as she did now. Asbit didn't seem worried though. She approached them confidently, snapping her fingers. Fire sprouted from her hand, like a flower, and she flicked it at the ground before Aurora's feet. Aurora whined and leapt back, her tail brushing against Jack's cheek.

"Your petty magic tricks won't fool me, little fox. The sun is raising, there is no need for you lights now. Go run home with your tail between your legs", Asbit mocked and as if heeding her words, the sun peeked up from the horizon, driving away Aurora's lights. Her form flickered and dissolved in a dim flash of green and purple. Instead of the monstrous creature a small fox was now standing between Jack and the fire spirit. Aurora's ears flattened against her neck and she backed away, but still didn't move from shielding Jack. So it had been an illusion?

_Why, _Jack wondered, _does my little fox think I need protection? _And in that bizarre moment Jack realized that it wasn't him thinking, but neither was it Jokul. They were both confused and worried about their little companion, merging their memories together. Feeling surprisingly calm, the winter spirit spread frost over the ground and forcefully lifted him from the ground he had been sinking in. Aurora looked back at him, startled, before making a yapping sound and fleeing, hiding behind his legs.

The winter spirit's eyes followed her moves and only when she had settled on snarling at Asbit from behind his legs, did he lift his gaze to the still approaching fire spirit.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd go through all the trouble to bring the wind spirit to me", Asbit purred as she approached, rings of fire dancing around her fingers.

"Though I would have thought you'd come sooner. When I agreed to harvest flames from the sun for that arrogant nerd, Toth, he told me it wouldn't take long until the Wind would be freed from you", she told him. She was only a couple of meters away now and the ground beneath her feet was withering and burning. The winter spirit stared at her coldly as the words sunk in and pieces clicked together. The fire sword that had cut the bond between him and Pitch, that had been her doing? But he should have figured, the bond had been made by the Moon so what else would break it than the sun? And Asbit _was _the spirit of fire. As to how she had 'harvested' the flames from the sun, the winter spirit didn't know. Nor did he really care.

Because that was when he realized what she had said about the wind and the winter spirit felt the part of him that was still 'Jack' get buried under hundreds of years of hatred.

"'The Wind would be freed of me', hmm?" he stated blankly.

"But of course", Asbit answered, not noticing the shift, "I would do the freeing part, though. Without your stalker around, they said you would be helpless. Mother Nature would not interfere for a second time." The winter spirit snorted and Asbit turned to glare at him. And she frowned. The winter spirit was staring straight at her, but the last she had seen him he had been blind, hadn't he…?

"And you didn't think they could be lying?" the winter spirit stated lazily and Asbit narrowed her eyes.

"Why would they lie about that? Toth was one of the first spirits to be frozen. Of course he would want revenge. But the coward he is would send someone like me to finish the job, don't you think?" But as she stared at the cold blue eyes she felt a chill running through her frame.

"Except", the winter spirit started and Asbit found herself backing a step at the venomous tone, "Toth doesn't want revenge. Toth wanted to _fade_", the memory of Jokul told her and after a few seconds of puzzlement her eyes widened. With a small shriek, she leapt backwards, turning away to run as frost raced over the ground. But it was too little too late. She had been arrogant to come here where only cold winds blew. Where frost covered the ground from day to night and where the rain froze as soon as it touched the ground. It wasn't her territory. It wasn't even her season. And even if it was… There were very few spirits who could match up to an enraged Jokul Frosti.

And as Asbit knew from the various fights they had had over the centuries, she was not one of them.

Jokul hit his staff against the ground and a stream of ice leapt across the frosty ground, tying Asbit's feet to the ground. She twisted around and released a blast of fire at her feet, but even as she did, the ice was already racing up her form and in a few seconds her scream was cut off.

In the middle of the plains not too far from the Himalayan mountains, there stood a frozen statue of an ancient fire spirit.

**-O-**

The winter spirit left as soon as he could, for some reason unable to look at his frozen creation. The little fox was still crouching behind his legs, though now gazing up at him. He could tell the fox was tense, but the reason why escaped him. He assumed it was because of the scare.

"All is fine now, little fox. No need to be scared", he hummed as he crouched to lift Aurora, but the fox slipped from his grasp and barked. The winter spirit could just imagine her narrowing her eyes at him. He frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, he could never get angry at the little pup he had found from the forest, exhausted and freezing. Alone. Aurora's eyes flitted over to the statue and hesitantly, the winter spirit followed her gaze. The glance at the ice block, glowing red from the inside acted as a trigger to memories and suddenly he remembered.

The anger, all-consuming anger and the feeling of betrayal as Thanatos had taken Khione from him. The anger towards humans and their ignorance and flippant minds for giving birth to something immortal and powerful before dismissing them when they changed their minds without even really realizing it. The fury towards the Man in the Moon and other primordial spirits for acting along the humans' whims. They gave and they took with no regard to those who paid the consequences.

But Jokul couldn't just wipe away the humanity. Unable to forget the little boy who had lost his family to Winter and how he had looked up with tired eyes at Jokul when the villagers had come to his rescue and _smiled_.

No, Jokul knew humans couldn't help their nature. But he had to do _something_. Maybe it was his center, the center that had caused him so much pain because winter was cruel and gave no space for _compassion_.

So the best Jokul could do would be to make sure no other spirit would have to suffer like he did. Because despite what the Moon thought, the world did not need spirits. Their elements would not simply cease to be as long as there were humans. But having incarnations, having spirits carry them for humans… It was cruelty.

And Jokul would do his best to put an end to it.

But he had a long way to go and wouldn't be able to do it alone. So he selfishly protected those close to him until it would all be done and they would be the last to go. Even if it took hundreds or thousands of years.

And so he softly caressed over the block of ice holding the fire spirit, before turning to look at Aurora again.

"It will all be alright, little fox", he told her. To his confusion his words didn't have the expected reaction and instead of calming and snuggling up to him, Aurora backed away warily. Jokul frowned, crouching down.

"What's wrong? It's me, no need to be afraid anymore", Jokul stated, stretching his hands out invitingly. And he blinked. Instead of the pale blue tunic he was used to wearing he saw dark blue sleeves covered in frost. And his hands… His hands were smaller and smoother. He stared blankly at his hands and memories flitted through his head. Yes, he could remember growing older and older, his fingers becoming thinner and skin looser. He had grown a beard too… But now he had short hair and no sign of a beard.

…he hadn't gone back in time had he?

No, that couldn't be it since Aurora looked the same age as when he had last seen her, curled to his side while he was lying on snow…

He blinked. He knew he had been lying on snow, but for some reason, looking down at his clothing and appearance, he thought he remembered standing up and looking down on some old man with white beard and…

He felt a headache forming and had a small wave of dizziness washing over him. How could he have been in two places at the same time?

He lifted his hands to cradle his head as he closed his eyes. A frown formed on his head as he tried to make sense of the memories of flying over some valley while knowing that he had been in his palace watching though the ice of his frost imitations, looking for something, some_one_.

"Having some trouble there?" a voice sounded from somewhere behind him and he spun around, his staff readied for a blast of ice.

Familiar green eyes greeted him, though it had been a while since he had seen the spirit with such a dark look in his eyes.

"Loki", he greeted stiffly.

**A/N**

Ahaha... ha... I'm so very late, aren't I? I'm so, so, sorry about that. And yes, I am definitely going to use school as my excuse. Granted, I did have some time I could have used for this around Christmas, but ended up not using it for this... Sorry ._.

Even sorrier about the fact that I seriously have close to none free time for the next month or so, at least. School and all that (who knew making games and studying is so time consuming and stressful (*cough*I did*cough*)

SO! I have three more chapters written and at least one more sketched out, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to posting them. I'm going to ask a friend to help me out a bit if they have the time, which would speed out the process remarkably, but don't count on it.

Again, I'm sorry about the delays, when I started the story this was definitely not my plan, but know that this story has not been abandoned and it will NOT be abandoned in the future even if it takes me a while to update.

So for the few **reviewers **who were wondering when the next chapter is up: here it is! Enjoy! And leave another review if you liked it! (or suggestions how to improve if you didn't like it) And for those who have left me a PM, I'm so sorry, it's been so long and my anxiety won't let me respond to those anymore since you've probs already forgotten those anyway... Sorry!

Next: Back to square one Jack goes~


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